If you fail to appear for your Court date a bench warrant may be issued for your arrest. A bench warrant is a type of Court order commanding law enforcement to track you down, arrest you and put you in jail. Once arrested on a bench warrant you lost the right to post bond. You must stay in jail until the bench warrant is lifted by the Court.
Common causes of a failure to appear bench warrant are:
- An error on the part of the Court or the prosecutor
- Forgetting or mistaking the date and time of your next Court appearance
- The Court notice being lost in the mail
Whatever the cause, the issuance of a bench warrant will create a substantial difficulty. Defendants in South Carolina arrested on a bench warrant ordinarily aren't automatically taken in front of a judge to have an opportunity to have the warrant lifted. Consulting with an attorney as soon as possible is important to try to return to Court as quickly as possible. If you or a loved one is facing an arrest due to any bench warrant contact the Law Office of James R. Snell, Jr., LLC, at (803) 359-3301.