Warrants
An arrest warrant can be issued for a variety of reasons including:
- a new criminal case after a criminal investigation;
- a post-indictment warrant;
- a warrant for failing to appear in court;
- a warrant for violating probation;
- a warrant for an outstanding class B misdemeanor through felony parole violation warrant;
- a remand without bond warrant;
- a felony arrest warrant issued by a court outside the State of Texas (often called the “fugitive warrant” or “extradition warrant”).
You can search for a warrant by contacting your local sheriff’s office, police station or law enforcement agency. Law enforcement agencies are pro-active in planning the execution of an arrest warrant by going to a specific person’s home or office to serve the warrant. Each year, these local law enforcement agencies also participate in a Warrant Roundup in which a large number of warrants are served at one time across the county.
Additionally, officers routinely initiate a warrant check on persons they have lawfully stopped for a traffic violation such as speeding or running a red light. After the traffic stop, the officer will perform a search for any outstanding warrants and arrest the person if a warrant is found.
Attorney for Warrants in Bexar County, TX
If you have an outstanding warrant for your arrest then contact an experienced San Antonio, Texas criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. We can help you confirm that the warrant does exist, the reasons why it was issued, and develop a plan to help you resolve it.
If you have an outstanding arrest warrant issued by a judge in a courtroom in San Antonio or Bexar County, then contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at Goldstein & Orr. Our attorneys are experienced in helping clients with pending cases or outstanding warrants in a variety of cases from a misdemeanor to a felony case.
Call (210) 226-1463 today to discuss your case.
How to Find a Warrant in Bexar County Texas
If you suspect that you have an outstanding warrant for your arrest, then the first step is gathering as much information as possible to confirm the existence of the warrant and determine if a bond amount is attached to the warrant. The Texas Department of Safety maintains a database listing of warrants included warrants issued for a failure to appear in court.
You can also perform an online warrant search from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office website which provides information pertaining to class A and class B misdemeanor warrants and other processes issued by a Bexar County Criminal Court at Law.
If your name appears on this list of people with an outstanding warrant, act quickly so that you can avoid being arrested. Your attorney can help you decide the a course of action to resolve the warrant and fight the underlying accusation.
If a bond amount is listed on the warrant, then you can post bail through a surety bond obtained through a licensed bail bondsman. You can also post a cash bond. If the bond amount is too high, your criminal defense attorney can request a bond hearing to reduce the amount. The court can agree to release you on a personal bond without sureties or other security.
You may post bail or surrender to the BCSO’s Bonding Desk. The BCSO’s Bonding Desk is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.
Felony and Misdemeanor Warrants in Bexar County
You can find out information about felony and misdemeanor warrant information on the Bexar County District Clerk’s website under Online Services and Search Our Records. One of the main reasons that the court will issue a beach warrant is because of a failure to appear in court.
Information about class “C” or fine only cases pending in the Bexar County Justice Courts may be found by using the “Find Information about Cases and Dockets.”
A person will be taken to the Bexar County Jail if the arresting officer serving the warrant has probable cause to believe there is an outstanding class B misdemeanor through felony parole violation warrant, remand without bond warrant, or a bond increase.
After you are taken to the Bexar County Jail, you will be detained for verification of the warrant at the Bexar County Identification Section at the Magistrates Office so that the warrant can be confirmed as active, an abstract of the warrant can be obtained, and the person can be identified as the same person named in the warrant. After the warrant is verified, you will be released into the custody of the Magistrates Office.
Warrants from the San Antonio Municipal Court
Although you can use the Online Payment System for the San Antonio Municipal Court to resolve some types of class C misdemeanor citations, by making the payment you are agreeing to be “convicted” of the criminal offense.
The most common examples of class “C” Misdemeanors handled by the San Antonio Municipal Court include:
- Minor in possession of tobacco
- Minor in possession of alcohol
- Driving under the influence of alcohol by a minor
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
- Possession of alcoholic beverage in a motor vehicle
- Shoplifting, Retail Theft or Petty theft under $50
- Worthless or hot checks under $20
- Simple assault
- Criminal trespass
- Disorderly conduct
- Public intoxication
- Leaving a child in a vehicle
- Bail jumping
When a computer check reveals an outstanding class C misdemeanor arrest warrant for a person that justifies the detention of the person, officers with the San Antonio Police Department must obtain certain information to verify the warrant is active. The officer can verify the warrant is active by sending a message in Visinet Mobile to “MWAR.” The officer will send the name, date of birth, and other identifiers of the person named in the warrant along with the warrant number (traffic citation number or misdemeanor citation number).
If the class C misdemeanor arrest warrant is confirmed, the person is then returned to the City of San Antonio Detention Center.
Crime Victim Notification Program in Bexar County
When local law enforcement officers in Bexar County arrest a person on a warrant for one of the following offenses, the officer is required to route a copy of the incident report to the applicable follow-up investigative unit:
- Stalking;
- Sexual Assault;
- Domestic Violence;
- Any crime where death, serious bodily injury or retaliation in the future is threatened; and
- Any crime resulting in death or serious bodily injury;
Event Deconfliction for Planned Forced Entry
The term “event deconfliction” is the process of discovering when two sets of law enforcement personnel are conducting an event in close proximity to one another so that a conflict can be avoided. These events that can cause a conflict include undercover operations, surveillance, executing search warrants, and executing arrest warrants.
The South Texas HIDTA Investigative Support Center which is managed by the San Antonio Police Department has been designated as the hub for deconfliction services by the South Texas HIDTA Executive Board. For this reason, the Investigative Support Center for South Texas HIDTA is the single point of contact for the entire South Texas Region.
Prior to officers with the San Antonio Police Department planning to execute an outstanding arrest warrant through a planned forced entry, the Officer-in-Charge or Warrant Execution Supervisor is required to notify the Deconfliction Unit. If a location of interest is listed with the Deconfliction Unit, the Officer-in-Charge or Warrant Execution Supervisor will contact the officer who placed the location into deconfliction for resolution.
Additional Resources
Online Payment for Misdemeanor Citations with the San Antonio Municipal Court – Visit the website for the City of San Antonio to find out more about making an online payment for a misdemeanor Class “C” citation. Paying the citation will cause you to be convicted. You can also hire a criminal defense attorney to request a court date so that you can contest the citation.
Texas DPS Failure to Appear / Failure to Appear Program – Visit the website of the Texas Department of Public Safety site to find information on violators who have been reported by the local counties and cities in Texas in accordance with Chapter 706 of the Texas Transportation Code. After being reported to the program, you cannot renew your Texas driver license until you clear the violation with the court. Search the database using your driver license number and your date of birth to find the reporting court. the docket number and other information on the offense. Scrolling over the court name will give you the mailing address and phone number for the court.
Finding a Lawyer for Warrants in Bexar County, TX
If you allegedly committed a felony or misdemeanor crime, a warrant can be issued for your arrest. Warrants are issued in the city or county in which you allegedly committed the crime. Warrants can also be issued from the bench by the judge if you miss a court date after receiving notice that you must appear in court on the charge.
If you have an outstanding warrant, then contact an experienced criminal defense attorney at Goldstein & Orr in San Antonio, TX. Call (210) 226-1463 today.
This article was last updated on Friday, November 22, 2017.
