what is a bench warrant

A bench warrant is a court order for someones arrest, issued by a judge when a defendant violates the rules of the court. It is not used to initiate the first criminal action, unlike a basic arrest warrant. A bench warrant is issued when a defendant fails to appear in court or for jury duty, disobeys a court subpoena to appear in court, or fails to comply with a court order. If a law enforcement officer stops an individual with an outstanding bench warrant against them, the person may be detained on the warrant and held in jail until a bond is posted or a hearing is held on the warrant. The hearing may result in the court setting a new bail amount, new conditions, and a new court appearance date. If a criminal defendant is arrested on a bench warrant, the judge may find them in contempt of court, which is defined as any willful insubordination or disregard of a court order and includes misconduct in the court’s presence.