Maryland Bench Warrant

A Maryland Bench Warrant is a warrant issued by a judge. It comes from the judge's bench, hence the title. A bench warrant is issued when someone fails to live up to a court order-usually failing to show up for a court date. If you are arrested for a criminal offense and granted bail or released on your own recognizance, you must show up for future court dates or risk having that bond revoked and a bench warrant issued.

When you fail to appear for court and no one is there to explain your absence, a bench warrant can be immediately issued. This means you can be placed under arrest at any time by the police and brought back to jail.

If arrested on a bench warrant, you will be returned to jail and have to face a new bond hearing. It's not too difficult to imagine why a judge might decide to set your bond higher this time or to deny bond altogether. This is one reason it's crucial to have a Maryland defense attorney fighting for your rights in court.

Criminal defense attorney Kush Arora further explains a Maryland bench warrant in the video featured below. If you're out on bond and failed to appear, you could have an active bench warrant out right now. If you're unsure or if you know that you have a warrant pending, contact a criminal defense attorney to discuss the details of your case today.