Understanding Bench Warrants: What You Need to Know
Bench warrants. Let’s talk about them. My name is Carl Birkhead, and I’m a Tulsa criminal attorney with Wirth Law Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I’ve been practicing family and criminal law for almost eight years now, and I want to help you make law easy by just talking about what bench warrants are and how they can affect your case.
What Are Bench Warrants?
This is part two of my series on bench warrants. Like I talked about in part 1, a bench warrant is exactly what it sounds like — it’s a warrant issued by a judge from the bench. Usually, that happens when someone was supposed to appear in court and didn’t show up.
Let me give you a real example: today was a mess. After several days of court closures due to weather, all the dockets got stacked into today. I had clients set for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday — all of them got pushed to Friday. Some of them didn’t even know the courthouse would be open today until it was too late to make it.
Consequences of Missing Court Dates
Now, here’s the important part: when people don’t show, the court can issue a bench warrant. Thankfully, I was there to explain the situation to the judge — snow days, short notice, no time to plan — and the court took it under advisement. That means they noted the absence but didn’t issue the warrant yet. But had my clients failed to show again? That warrant would’ve been issued immediately.
If a bench warrant does get issued, your bond can be forfeited, and the judge will usually triple the amount for a new bond. So if you were out on $5,000, you’re now looking at $15,000 just to get released again.
Taking Action on Bench Warrants
Moral of the story? Always let your attorney know if you can’t make it to court. Always double-check OSCN for your court dates. And above all — show up when you’re supposed to. Because judges don’t have to be understanding.
If you’ve missed a court date or think a warrant may have been issued, give us a call. We can help you sort it out before it gets worse.
Your Next Step: Schedule a Low-Cost Initial Strategy Session
Contact me, Carl Birkhead, a Tulsa felony attorney with Wirth Law Office, and let us help you navigate through your legal concerns. I want to help you make law easy. Call us today at 918-879-1681 to schedule a low-cost initial strategy session and get the guidance you need.
