Legal Question in Criminal Law in California

can i get a california state id with a bench warrant?


Asked on 11/26/11, 9:32 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Terry A. Nelson Nelson & Lawless

Sure, once you bail out of jail.

Going to DMV will simply get you arrested, jailed and transported to the court[s] in cuffs and an orange jump suit. To properly handle a warrant, you must turn yourself into the court issuing the warrant, with or without an attorney, and try to negotiate a recall of the warrant and a plea bargain on the new �Failure to Appear� charge, negotiate bail or OR release, and then negotiate or take to trial any outstanding charges that caused the warrant. Doing so voluntarily will result in a better outcome than being brought in cuffs to court after arrest on the warrant. That can happen if you come in contact with law enforcement or customs anywhere in the US. If this is a felony, the defendant must be personally present at every court hearing and appearance. If this is a misdemeanor, the attorney can appear in court without the defendant being present, and any plea bargain deal could be handled by notarized paperwork. Unless you're competent to effectively represent yourself in court against a professional prosecutor trying to put you in jail, most people hire an attorney who can. If serious about hiring counsel to help in this, and if this is in SoCal courts, feel free to contact me.

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Answered on 11/28/11, 1:19 pm


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