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    I Just Got a Letter in the Mail Telling Me There’s a Warrant Out for My Arrest in New Canaan, Greenwich, Stamford, or Darien Connecticut. What Do I Do?

    I Just Got a Letter in the Mail Telling Me There’s a Warrant Out for My Arrest in New Canaan, Greenwich, Stamford, or Darien Connecticut. What Do I Do?

    The best New Canaan, Darien and Greenwich Connecticut criminal law firms frequently get calls from people who have received letters in the mail from the New Canaan, Darien and Greenwich Connecticut Police Departments informing them that there is a warrant out for their arrest. Top Greenwich, Darien and New Canaan criminal lawyers and attorneys know that a letter like this indicates an arrest warrant in Stamford, Greenwich, New Canaan, Darien or anywhere else in Connecticut is “active.” This means that if you are stopped for the even the most routine traffic stop, the police in Connecticut or any other state will likely have to arrest you on the spot, in front of your family or friends, and bring you directly to jail.

    So what do you do if you get a letter in the mail telling you there’s a warrant out for your arrest in Greenwich, New Canaan or anywhere else in Connecticut? Keep reading to find out…

    How Does the Connecticut Arrest Warrant Process Work?

    There are 2 ways of getting arrested in Greenwich, Stamford, Darien or elsewhere in Connecticut. The first is a warrantless arrest, where police eyewitness you committing a crime or gather enough evidence at the crime scene to establish probable cause to arrest you immediately. As the best Connecticut criminal lawyers know, the other method of arrest used by the Darien, Wilton, New Canaan, and Greenwich Connecticut Police Departments is the arrest warrant application process. Top Greenwich and Darien Connecticut criminal law firms see this process used when police need to take time to investigate a case, take statements, collect and examine evidence, and determined whether probable cause exists to arrest you in Connecticut for crimes like DWI / DUI (when blood is taken rather than a breath test), Evading Responsibility, Violation of a Criminal Protective Order, Identity Theft and Sexual Assault. These Connecticut crimes sometimes require an in-depth examination of forensic evidence such as DNA, bloodwork or cell phone records. Once police believe they have enough probable cause to arrest you, they submit a written arrest warrant application to the local prosecutors who then either sign or reject the application. If they sign the application, it then goes to a Connecticut Superior Court judge for approval. If signed by the judge, then the application is sent back to the police department for “execution of the warrant,” meaning the police must now arrest you.

    How Do Connecticut Police Typically Execute an Arrest Warrant?

    Once a Connecticut judge signs off on an arrest warrant application, the best Connecticut criminal lawyers would explain that the police must now execute the arrest warrant and bring you into custody. If you live in the town in which the crime was committed, then the police will sometimes extend a courtesy to you and contact you to come into the station voluntarily to surrender and be fingerprinted, photographed, and processed. However, if the crime is particularly serious, involved severe physical injuries, or if you have been uncooperative with police, or there was otherwise some tension or problems between you and the police, then they will usually take a more aggressive and offensive approach and come to your house or job and arrest you, which can sometimes cause you additional embarrassment or humiliation.

    If you live out of state or in another Connecticut town, then the police will either send you a letter informing you a warrant has been signed and list the charges, or they will have federal marshals or out-of-state police arrest you and extradite you. With respect to the Connecticut arrest warrant letters, here’s the problem with letters like these that the top criminal lawyers / attorneys in Darien, New Canaan and Greenwich Connecticut see all the time: these letters do not inform you of the bond amount. So when you show up at the police station in response to the letters, you end up having to stay in jail because you were not prepared to post bond. Follow this link to learn more about the Connecticut bond and bail system, and how to contact the best bondsman in Connecticut to make sure you don’t spend a minute locked up behind bars during your Connecticut criminal arrest.

    Should I Fight Extradition to Connecticut?

    Usually, no, but you should contact a top Connecticut extradition criminal lawyer attorney before making this decision. Understand this—Connecticut police would much rather have you come in voluntarily and surrender rather than have to extradite you and go pick you up from another state. It’s a ton of paperwork, legwork, and very expensive for Connecticut law enforcement to execute. But with serious cases, extradition is sometimes necessary and your rights to be held in custody without bond while you await extradition can keep you locked up in another state for usually up to 30 days without being able to post any kind of bond. It is a legally complex process that should be vetted with the best Connecticut extradition criminal lawyers, especially if the underlying Connecticut criminal arrest is for a felony.

    Call a Connecticut Arrest Warrant Criminal Lawyer Today

    If you have received a letter in the mail from a Connecticut police department informing you that there’s a warrant out for your arrest, then be sure to contact any of the Connecticut criminal lawyers at Mark Sherman Law today. Read what our past clients have to say about us, and then contact us so we can provide you with as much helpful information as possible, make the process smooth and seamless for you and your family, and work with you to try and get your case dismissed as cost-effectively and quickly as possible. We are available 24/7 to take your call at (203) 358-4700.