While the idea of turning yourself in is never going to be appealing, it is in fact the ideal choice over getting arrested because you are able to take control of the situation. When you turn yourself in you don’t have to constantly look over your shoulder waiting for law enforcement to catch up and it may even make you look better in the eyes of the judge. If you know you have an arrest warrant out, here are some things to know.
Talk with a bail bondsman to see if arrest can be avoided
The first thing anyone should do if they have a warrant out or think they might is to get into touch with a local bail bondsman. This is because they have the ability to look up the warrant to see if in fact there is one and if so if there is a bond attached. If there is in fact a bond already set then you could potentially avoid an arrest and jail altogether by arranging the bond to be paid beforehand. However, if no bond has been set then they will be able to tell you this and give you advice on the next steps.
When and where to go
If you do need to turn yourself in, You will do so at the local jail or adult correctional facility and it is always best to do so as early in the day as possible and preferably on Tuesday through Thursday. This is because it will give the enforcement officers time to get everything processed so there is less waiting around which in turn means less time in jail. On Mondays there tends to be an overflow due to the weekend and on Fridays the judges may have less time and won’t be able to set bond until the next day or later when things are very busy.
What to take
When going in it is important to have some type of identification with you as well as any aides such as hearing aides, walkers, or anything that helps you stay mobile as well as any medications that you will need to take consistently. Cash is also recommended if you plan on paying cash bail on any bond that is set.
In the end, turning yourself in is ideal over getting arrested because you will have better preparation of what to have as well as avoiding the anxiety of not knowing when or where an arrest will actually happen. It also looks better to a judge who may provide more leniency in terms of the bond and sentencing which by itself makes it the better option.