Legal Question in Criminal Law in Pennsylvania

Re: Criminal

The first thing he needs to do is get his bench warrant lifted. He can do this in the basement of the CJC any morning - early in the morning. (I'm presuming this is Philadelphia because of your zip code. If this is not Philly, he'll still need to get his warrant lifted, but the process is different.)

Once the warrant is lifted, the case will be listed for a preliminary hearing and it will proceed as any other case. Just because he didn't steal the car doesn't mean the government won't work hard to convict him of receiving stolen property or unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Your friend should retain an attorney immediately, before he turns himself in for the warrant. If he cannot afford an attorney, he should make arrangements to go to the Public Defender's offices.

Additionally, your friend should be aware that he has a bench warrant out for his arrest due to his failure to appear in court. That means he could be arrested at any time. If he gets pulled over for a traffic violation, bang, he winds up in jail waiting to see a bail commissioner or a judge.

The moral of the story is do not waste time - make haste - and get this over with. Good luck.