Scared of getting pulled over?
Living with a warrant is stressful. Every traffic stop feels like it could end in handcuffs, because when police run your name, the warrant shows up, and you can be arrested on the spot: at home, at work, or on the side of the road. A warrant usually doesn’t go away on its own.
The good news: you can deal with it on your terms, with a plan, instead of waiting for a stop to decide it for you. How depends on one question. Did you miss court, or is the warrant for new charges? In Sacramento right now, those are very different problems.
Missed court? I can almost always schedule a hearing on a missed-court warrant, so you don’t have to turn yourself in at the jail. Read about missed court
New charges? Misdemeanor warrants can often be recalled without you there. A felony warrant usually means a short time in custody, so we plan it well. Read about new charges
Missed court? That’s a bench warrant
When you don’t come to court on your court date, the judge can issue a bench warrant. Maybe you forgot, couldn’t get off work, got sick, or never got the notice. It happens more than people think, and judges know life gets in the way.
A missed-court warrant is a different animal from a warrant on new charges. Felony or misdemeanor, I can almost always schedule a hearing and get the warrant dealt with without you going into custody. That’s much better than turning yourself in at the jail. How it goes still depends on why you missed court and on your record.
You need a good reason, and a lawyer
The judge is going to want to know why you weren’t there. If you were released without bail and missed court on purpose, that can even be charged as a new crime. Walk in with no reason, or the wrong one, and the judge can take you into custody on the spot. Before the hearing, I go over what happened with you, pin down the real reason you missed court, and tell you what proof to gather: a doctor’s note, a work schedule, a notice that went to an old address. Then I present it to the judge the right way.
So please don’t read this page and decide to handle it alone. The goal on a bench warrant is simple: you walk into court with me, and you walk back out, without ever turning yourself in.
- Misdemeanor case. I can often get the warrant recalled and your case back on track without you there at all.
- Felony case. You come to court with me, and we go in together with a plan.
If the warrant is about probation, see my page on probation violations.
New charges? That’s an arrest warrant
An arrest warrant on new charges means the DA filed a case and a judge signed a warrant for your arrest. Sometimes police get a warrant before charges are filed, often called a Ramey warrant. These days I handle the two much the same way.
What’s changed in Sacramento
It used to be common to schedule the arraignment (the first court date on new charges) and walk my client in from home, often to be released without bail. In recent years, especially on felonies, the DA often doesn’t set a court date or send a courtesy notice anymore. It just gets an arrest warrant. That leaves two choices: wait to be arrested, or turn yourself in. And once a warrant is out, getting a court date set so you can walk in has become hard.
I’ll be straight with you. On a felony warrant, it’s much harder now to resolve things without you going into custody, at least briefly. Since that’s likely, we plan it, so it happens on a day you choose, with a lawyer already on your side, instead of after a traffic stop.
- Misdemeanor warrants are different. It’s still very possible to schedule a hearing and get the warrant recalled, often without you there.
- Felony warrants can sometimes be quashed (canceled), for example when the warrant is very old or the circumstances are unusual. It’s case by case, and I’ll tell you honestly whether it’s worth trying in yours.
Planning a surrender: timing matters
California law says a person who is arrested must be brought before a judge within 48 hours, not counting Sundays and holidays. In practice, that usually means about two court days, so about two nights in jail. That’s why the day you turn yourself in matters so much.
- Monday or Tuesday is best. The court days that follow come before the weekend.
- Wednesday only if you have to. If anything goes wrong, you could still spend the weekend inside.
- Avoid Thursday and Friday. Turning yourself in late in the week often means spending the whole weekend in jail.
Before you go in, we talk through where to go, what to expect, the bail decision, and what to say. The answer to that last one is nothing about the case. Tell officers you want a lawyer and you don’t want to answer any questions, then stop talking. Just staying silent isn’t enough; you have to say it.
Bail: pay now, or wait for the judge?
Once you’re in custody, you, or your family, have three choices:
- Post the full bail. If you go to every court date, it’s returned at the end of the case (if you posted it yourself, the court can first take out any fine or restitution). But it’s often tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- Use a bail bond company. The usual fee is 10% of the bail, and you never get it back. On a $100,000 bail, that’s $10,000 gone, even if the charges are later dropped. Many bail companies offer a lower rate if you have a private attorney, which is one more reason to hire your lawyer first.
- Wait for the arraignment. The first court date often brings release without bail, especially for a first offender on a nonviolent charge. The cost of waiting is usually about two nights in jail.
It’s a personal, financial decision. Most of the time, the question is whether getting out two nights early is worth the money.
If it’s bail or a lawyer, hire the lawyer. I’m biased, I know. But sitting two nights and getting released at arraignment without bail, with a lawyer already working on your case, beats getting out two nights early with no lawyer at all. If you can afford both, getting out early is your call. Just know that’s the decision you’re making, and that release without bail at arraignment is common. It’s harder for a repeat offender facing a new violent charge, though even then it isn’t hopeless. On serious charges, the math changes.
Serious charges: the bail decision is different
On serious charges, or a serious record plus new serious charges, waiting for the judge carries a real risk: the judge could deny bail entirely. Someone arrested on a $100,000 warrant, who could have posted a bond, might end up unable to get out at all. A case can stay open for many months, and being stuck inside that whole time can be devastating for you, your job and your family.
In those cases, posting bail can be the safer choice. I weigh the odds of release with you, and you decide: take the chance on release without bail, or pay to make sure you get out.
How to check for a warrant in Sacramento
Sacramento County doesn’t offer a public online warrant search. Here’s what works:
- Call a bail bond company. For most people, this is the easiest way. A good bail bond company is happy to run a warrant check, because they hope you’ll use them if you need to post bail. You don’t have to.
- For a misdemeanor warrant, contact the Sheriff’s Records and Warrants Bureau, 4510 Orange Grove Avenue, Sacramento, (916) 874-5383. They give warrant information only to the person named in the warrant, and they’ll verify your identity.
- Call me. I’ll help you find out what the warrant is for and which court issued it, so you aren’t guessing.
Felony warrants are handled at the Main Jail, 651 I Street, downtown. If you’re going to turn yourself in on one, talk to me first so we can pick the day and plan for bail.
Don’t just walk into the courthouse
Some people think the fastest fix is to walk into the courthouse and tell someone they have a warrant. The courthouse usually isn’t where people with warrants are booked. You may be arrested right there, or you may not, but either way you’ve walked in without a plan. Call me first.
Other things to know
- Not a U.S. citizen? Tell me at the start. I plan around immigration consequences.
- Think a warrant is coming but you haven’t been charged yet? See what to do before charges are filed.
- Calling about a family member? See what to do when a loved one is arrested.
- Arrested on a warrant that shouldn’t have been active, or held in jail longer than you should have been? That can be a civil rights case.
- Cost. I charge flat fees, so you know the cost before you hire me. See my fees.
Questions
Can I just wait it out?
You can, but the warrant usually stays active, and the next traffic stop or police contact can end in an arrest. Taking care of it on your schedule is almost always less stressful.
Do I have to go to court to clear my warrant?
On a misdemeanor, I can often go for you. On a felony, you’ll come to court with me. If you missed court, I can almost always schedule a hearing so you walk in with me instead of turning yourself in at the jail. On a new felony warrant, it usually means a short, planned time in custody.
Will I go to jail?
It depends on the kind of warrant, the reason for it, the charges and your record. I can’t promise you won’t be held. But walking in with a lawyer and a plan is very different from being brought in after a traffic stop. I’ll give you my honest read at the consultation.
What day should I turn myself in?
Monday or Tuesday, if you can. It usually takes about two court days to see a judge, so turning in on a Thursday or Friday often means the whole weekend in jail. Talk to me before you pick a day.
Should I post bail or hire a lawyer?
If you can only do one, hire the lawyer. I’m biased, but release without bail at the first court date is common, and the bail company’s fee never comes back. On serious charges, posting bail can be the safer choice, because the judge could deny bail entirely.
Can a family member call for me?
Yes. Family members often make the first call. I represent the person with the warrant, and what that person tells me stays between us.