In Texas, the term “warrant” means an official document signed by a judge or other person in authority that gives the police permission to either arrest a person for a criminal offense or search someone’s home or vehicle, or take some other action as authorized by the warrant.
If you believe a warrant for your arrest has been issued by a court in Tarrant County, an experienced criminal defense attorney in Fort Worth, TX. We can help you determine if the warrant actually exists, whether a motion can be filed to set aside the warrant, and if not, how to immediately surrender the warrant so that you can be released on bond or pre-trial release while the attorney helps you resolve the case on the best possible terms.
Warrants Defense Lawyer in Fort Worth, Arlington, Grapevine, Keller, and Southlake, TX
If a warrant was issued for your arrest in Tarrant County, TX, then contact an experienced criminal defense attorney to discuss the facts of your case. Our attorneys represent clients throughout Fort Worth and the surrounding areas.
In some cases, a person has moved out of the county or state or the warrant is extremely old. We also represent clients charged with bail jumping after a failure to appear for a scheduled court appearance. If you live out of the State of Texas, we can also help you before you are subjected to extradition back to Texas by resolving the underlying case and fugitive warrant.
If you have an outstanding arrest warrant, you can be arrested at any time and place before being held and then brought back to the court to answer the charges. Instead of waiting to be arrested on the outstanding warrant, take a proactive approach by hiring an experienced criminal defense attorney to represent you. We can help you determine the best course of action to resolve the case. Let us put our experience to work for you.
Call (817) 422-5350 today.
Misdemeanor Capias Based on Probable Cause
In Texas, a misdemeanor capias is valid when issued from a court with proper jurisdiction after a neutral magistrate has made a determination of the probable cause. The misdemeanor capias follows the same form and procedure as a felony warrant. TEX.CODE CRIM. PROC. ANN. art. 23.04.
An arrest warrant empowers police to find and arrest the person named in the warrant whenever and wherever they could. In Shannon v. State, 681 S.W.2d 142, 145 (Tex.App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 1984, pet. ref’d), the court held that an outstanding arrest warrant for an individual may be executed by law enforcement at whatever time and place they choose although important limitations apply.
Warrantless Arrest under Texas Law
Texas law encourages a police officer to obtain an arrest warrant when possible. The law also provides, however, limited circumstances where an arrest without a warrant is authorized in Texas. Chapter 14, Vernon’s Ann. C.C.P. Article 14.04 provides:
“Where it is shown by satisfactory proof to a peace officer, upon the representation of a credible person, that a felony has been committed, and that the offender is about to escape so that there is no time to procure a warrant, such peace officer may, without a warrant, pursue and arrest the accused.
Warrant Additional Resources
Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office Warrants Division – Visit the TCSO website to search for outstanding warrants maintained in the warrant division. The website allows you to search for an arrest record in Tarrant County for offenses higher than a class B misdemeanor. The website of the Department of Criminal Justice in Texas to use the searches the online offender database by name, date of birth, TDCJ number, or the SID number. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice uses Regional Warrants Specialists to perform criminal information searches and retrieval using the Texas Department of Public Safety criminal history system access. With 67 employees, the Warrants Division of the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office manages and serves active criminal and mental health warrants. The division is divided into five units including the fugitive unit with 22 Deputies that arrest and transport individuals who have warrants for their arrest.
Warrants Division of the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office
200 Taylor Street – 6th Floor
Fort Worth, TX 76196
817-884-1289
Search DPS’s for a Failure to Appear – Visit the website of the Texas Department of Public Safety to find information on the Failure to Appear / Failure to Pay Program maintained by the OmniBase Services. The website does not have information on warrants. For a failure to appear warrant, you must check with the court to see if the warrant has been issued. You can use the FTA program to check using your Driver’s License Number and Date Of Birth. You can not renew your Texas driver’s license until the reported violation is resolved with the reporting court.
Tarrant County District Clerk Warrant Search – Find information on obtaining a criminal felony background check after paying a $5 fee with the District Court for Tarrant County. You can also find information on the background check for felonies on the website of the District Court located in Fort Worth, TX. You can also find information on the clerk’s website using the defendant’s name or case number.
Alias Warrant or Capias Pro-Fines Issued by the Fort Worth Municipal Court – Visit the municipal court for the City of Fort Worth to find information about two different types of warrants issued by the judge in municipal court including the capias pro-fine issued after a person is assessed a fine but fails to comply with the court’s order or an alias warrant issued after a failure to appear to answer a C misdemeanor charge.