If you think you have an arrest warrant do not wait for the police to come get you. The police always seem to arrest people at the most inopportune times. You can avoid embarrassment and an extended stay in jail by taking a proactive approach to your warrant. The first step is to obtain the specifics of the arrest warrant. If you call the Law Office of Timothy Hessinger, P.A., we will be able to advise you if there is a warrant for your arrest, the nature of the charge and the amount of the bond. Once you know the specifics several approaches can be considered. There are three main approaches. No one approach is right for every person.

1. The most advantageous way is to appear before the court that issued the warrant with your attorney and request a release on your own recognizance or with a low bond. The court is much more likely grant an R.O.R. (release on recognizance) when you have shown responsibility by turning yourself in and gone through the expense of hiring an attorney. The court will consider you a much lower risk to miss future court dates because of this proactive approach.

2. Another approach is to post a surety bond through a licensed bail bond agency. This approach will guarantee that you will not be inconveniently arrested but requires that you pay the bondsman a non refundable 10% premium on the bond amount. Depending on the amount of the bond and the bondsman's assessment of your risk of failing to appear, the bondsman may require you to post collateral to cover the other 90% of the bond amount. Collateral can be any other property that you have a legal interest in.  The drawbacks to this approach are that the bondsman may attach conditions to the bond that restrict your freedom and require you to keep daily or weekly contact with the bondsman. Most importantly, if you fail to appear the bondsman will track you down and any property that was used as collateral may be subject to forfeiture to the bondsman.

3. The final approach is turn yourself in to the Pinellas County Jail and pay the full amount of the bond in cash. Keep in mind that the court can apply your cash bond to other court cost and fines that you owe.  The amount remaining, if any, will be returned to you assuming you did not fail to appear for court.