Can I be charged with a crime without being arrested?
The simple answer to this question is yes you can be charged with a crime without ever being arrested. It’s even possible to be charged with a crime without ever speaking to a police officer.
If you have been charged with a crime contact Michigan criminal lawyer, Aaron J. Boria (734) 453-7806.
It is possible that you will receive a criminal citation ticket in the mail from a police officer, a notice to appear to defend criminal charges in the mail from a court, or you could even find out you have been charged with a crime by being stopped by police for a traffic ticket and the officer notifies you of a pending charge.
Charged with a crime in Michigan
There are several ways to be charged with a crime. The most common way that comes to mind occurs when a police officer claims that he sees you commit a crime and writes you a ticket for it. Sometimes this occurs with a brief detention on the seen and you are later let go. in a case such as a DUI the officer may take you to the station for several hours and let you out later with a citation to appear in court.
The next most common way that being charged with a crime occurs is when witnesses, not police, claim to have knowledge of you committing a crime. These people then go to the police who perform an investigation. The investigation will often lead police to knocking on your door and possibly arresting you, or simply issuing a criminal ticket and mailing it to you.
Finally, the situation can occur where the police believe they have enough evidence to arrest you without talking to you. The police then appear in front of a judge or magistrate and request an arrest warrant be issued. Once the warrant is issued you will likely get notice in the mail from the police or the court if the police do not come and arrest you. At that point you can turn yourself in, again without ever speaking to an officer.
Walking in on a Warrant
Once criminal charges have been issued against you it is a good idea to turn yourself in as soon as possible rather than wait for the cops to come get you or pull you over on your way to work.
Let’s face it, there is no good time to be a criminal defendant no matter what is going on in your personal life. The benefit you gain by turning yourself in shows the judge that you are likely to come back to court and defend the charges. When deciding bond, turning yourself in shows the judge that you are less likely to be a flight risk and, in most cases, should result in a lower cash bond or personal bond.
(For those that missed our blog on What is a Bond, the simple answer is that a bond is a promise to return to court backed by money or a promise to pay money if you fail to show.)
Walking in on a warrant means to turn yourself into the court that has jurisdiction over you where you will be arraigned (meaning that you will be formally told what the charges are and the maximum penalty) and bond will be addressed.
Michigan Criminal Lawyer
If you have reason to believe that police are investigating you or have received notice that there is a warrant for your arrest then you need to contact a criminal lawyer immediately.
Michigan criminal lawyer, Aaron J. Boria fights for his clients and makes the confusing process easy. (734) 453-7806
Walking into a court with a lawyer shows the judge you are taking the accusation of a criminal charge seriously and you are going to vigorously defend.
