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Bench Warrant Issued for Failure to Appear

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cyfiro

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? California

I was issued a warrant for Failure to Appear for driving with a suspended license. Prior to receiving the ticket for driving with a suspended license my license was suspended because I failed to pay a ticket for no insurance. I have since paid for the no insurance ticket and have a clean driving record, other than for the warrant. What are the steps I need to take to have my driver's license reinstated.

thanks.
 
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CdwJava

Senior Member
cyfiro said:
I was issued a warrant for Failure to Appear for driving with a suspended license. Prior to receiving the ticket for driving with a suspended license my license was suspended because I failed to pay a ticket for no insurance. I have since paid for the no insurance ticket and have a clean driving record, other than for the warrant. What are the steps I need to take to have my driver's license reinstated.

thanks.
Take care of the warrant, pay off any debt, get a clearance from the court, take said clearance to the DMV, pay to get your license reinstated, and go driving merrily on your way.

This is going to cost you a few dollars and might even result in a short jail stay before you see a judge if you can't schedule a new court date. You might consider paying an attorney to help you out with this. Or, expect a couple of days in jail as a possibility before you see a judge.

- Carl
 

TYRIS

Member
What is the name of your state? California

I was issued a warrant for Failure to Appear for driving with a suspended license. Prior to receiving the ticket for driving with a suspended license my license was suspended because I failed to pay a ticket for no insurance. I have since paid for the no insurance ticket and have a clean driving record, other than for the warrant. What are the steps I need to take to have my driver's license reinstated.

thanks.
-Go to the court house and contact the court clerk. You should be able to have the warrant cleared and a new court date issued. Your best bet would be to plead no contest and then pay the fine. If you cannot afford the fine, you should be able to make payments through the courts.

Tyris
 

cyfiro

Junior Member
Tyris, when I see the court clerk, will he/she ask for a bail amount in order for me to set a new court date.

thanks for all the replies everyone, really apprecitated. :)
 

CdwJava

Senior Member
cyfiro said:
Tyris, when I see the court clerk, will he/she ask for a bail amount in order for me to set a new court date.
It's not generally QUITE that simple. The clerk MAY call the cops in which case you'd better have the bail money.

Your best bet is to arrange the issue through an attorney. At the very least call the court and see what might happen if you come in with the appropriate bail. Keep in mind that the bail could be $2,000+, depending on your local court.

- Carl
 

garrula lingua

Senior Member
What county are you in ?

Carl's county may jail you, L.A. will be similar to Tyris':
Appear in court. Check in with the court clerk & explain your situation. S/he will probably send your case into court & you will make an appearance before the Judge.
The Judge may be ticked at you - tell the Judge you screwed up and you're sorry.
Explain to the Judge how deeply sorry you are that you missed that court appearance.

Hopefully, the Judge will quash & recall the FTA warrant (you can't get your DL issued until that warrant is recalled). Don't leave the courthouse without getting an abstract from the court clerk to take to DMV. If you return with your re-issued DL, then you can probably (if the Prosecutor will allow it) plead on a much lesser charge (12500a) instead of the 14601.1a you were cited for (hopefully, the Judge will give you a continuance on the cite date, for you to return with your DL & plead out).

Some Judges take FTAs personally. However, in L.A., the jail is too crowded to remand FTAs unless it's a serious crime - not a msdm traffic.
Some Judges will charge $288. fine, payable at the time of sentencing on the cited charge & recall the warrant. That way, you get to add the fine to the cite fine & make payments.
Are you using a PD ?
The PD should be able to help you with this & just get a conviction on the 12500a. The Judge, legally, can't dismiss the FTA if it was added as a charge (that's why they tack on the fine @ sentencing- only the Prosecutor can dismiss the charge).
PDs (& some pro per defendants) can, successfully, ask the Prosecutor to dismiss the FTA to allow you to get your DL & come back & plead.
 

garrula lingua

Senior Member
PS: if you get a Judge who is frantic about FTAs & s/he does remand you, you will be transported downtown to Inmate Reception Center & released in downtown LA same night (you can walk to Union Sta from there, but neighborhood is rotten).
 

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