Picture the Homeless

This information is provided by Picture the Homeless to inform you of your rights and responsibilities under the law. It is not legal advice and cannot substitute for a lawyer.

1) Ignoring a warrant does not make it go away. A warrant can be issued in a number of circumstances, including missing a summons hearing (when you were supposed to go to a court date) and didn’t show up. If you have police contact while you have a warrant, even for a minor violation, the police are required to arrest you for the warrant.

2) If you know whether you have a warrant you can make an informed choice and take control of the situation. If you find out that you do have a warrant, you do not have to clear it up but you have a better sense of your options and of the choices you can make.

3) If you find out that you have a warrant, you can deal with it in a way that is more convenient for you. If you wait until the police pick you up, it may happen at an extremely inconvenient time – like when you’ve started a new job or are sick.

Once you have information about the process for learning whether you have a warrant and how to resolve it, you do not have to use the information to actually clear the warrant. However, having the information will let you know what your options are, and lets you make an affirmative choice – even if that choice is not to act.