how to find out if you have a bench warrent

lifeandtimes

Hi,

in looking for advice and not legal advice( i know the charter rule) but maybe you guys can help.

Iv been looking through this threads lately and see a lot people have bench warrants issued without them knowing/receiving them or summons for court appearances.

This reminded me that back in 2008 i was on a night out in carlow(i lived in the town center) and was brought back to a garda station(literally for nothing,hadn't drank much and was with a group of people who don't act the maggot) i was walking along a busy public area and taken in a van and back to the station and thrown in what is usually called the drunk tank and i wasn't alone another member of my part was taken also.

Now i gave my details as any good member of the public would do but i remember being asked to sign documentation admitting guilt for actions on the night and for something i didn't do and for which i refused.

I spent a couple of hour in a cell and was released early in the morning.

now a few weeks later the person who i was arrested with received a summons and appeared in court and i didn't not receive anything.

At the time i lived away from my mothers house but thinking back i remember her calling me regarding a registered letter(this would be maybe a year a later) but i never made it down there to sign for it and thought it may have just been competition winnings(i enter lots of competitions and win a lot).

Do you think this may have been a summons for court?

If so how would they have gotten my mothers address and if it is would it still be valid?(being naive i assume it would be,if in fact it was)

And worst comes to worst it is,how do i find out? do i just contact a local guarda station and ask them to check my details?

Thanks in advance for any advice

No Pants

Walk into a Garda station, introduce yourself and then try to walk out. If successful, you're in the clear.

Seriously, that's not too far off the mark. Check with your local Gardai if you're anxious to get it resolved. If there is a warrant outstanding, keep any comments made brief and to the point.

lifeandtimes

No Pants wrote: »

Walk into a Garda station, introduce yourself and then try to walk out. If successful, you're in the clear.

Seriously, that's not too far off the mark. Check with your local Gardai if you're anxious to get it resolved. If there is a warrant outstanding, keep any comments made brief and to the point.

Hi No pants,

Thanks for you reply, funny you say that as i have been in out of the country many times since then and i have been in touch with the gardai in relation getting a drivers license,passport renewed and in regard to a mobile that was stolen, each time given my name and details.

Would i be right to assume that if there was a warrent my name would be flagged as soon as its entred in theire system or do they even check names for things of this nature?

No Pants

lifeandtimes wrote: »

Hi No pants,

Thanks for you reply, funny you say that as i have been in out of the country many times since then and i have been in touch with the gardai in relation getting a drivers license,passport renewed and in regard to a mobile that was stolen, each time given my name and details.

Would i be right to assume that if there was a warrent my name would be flagged as soon as its entred in theire system or do they even check names for things of this nature?

I would presume that something happens in the system. Nothing so dramatic as red lights, klaxxons and armed men leaping out of the cupboard behind you, but something to bring it to the Guard's attention. I'd be 95% certain that you're in the clear, but you brought it up; how diligent do you want to be?

lifeandtimes

No Pants wrote: »

I would presume that something happens in the system. Nothing so dramatic as red lights, klaxxons and armed men leaping out of the cupboard behind you, but something to bring it to the Guard's attention. I'd be 95% certain that you're in the clear, but you brought it up; how diligent do you want to be?

Yeah i woundlt expect a swat team show done but your right,clearly something would have come up.

But just for sake of argument what would be the standard procedure if there was a warrent for the last few years for which i wasnt aware?

I get arrested brought to a judge and put in prison?

Or as we are not allowed give legal advice, have you ever heard of someone having one and not knowing for years and what happend to them?

Zambia

G "hello"
U "Hello my name is life an times , my date of birth is 01/01/1990 and my address is blah blah. Do I have any warrants for my arrest"
G " hang on"
U reads a few posters
G returns and gives you an answer.

Lmklad

lifeandtimes wrote: »

Yeah i woundlt expect a swat team show done but your right,clearly something would have come up.

But just for sake of argument what would be the standard procedure if there was a warrent for the last few years for which i wasnt aware?

I get arrested brought to a judge and put in prison?

Or as we are not allowed give legal advice, have you ever heard of someone having one and not knowing for years and what happend to them?

Alternately contact the local District Courts office where the alleged offence occurred. They'll tell you. If you have one you'll need to go to the Garda station. If you don't no harm no foul. Warrants are not a big deal once you sort them out. It's leaving them sitting that might later cause an issue.

Santa Cruz

i would imagine that if there was a bench warrant in existence surely at some point the Gardai would have called to arrest you

lifeandtimes

Lmklad wrote: »

Alternately contact the local District Courts office where the alleged offence occurred. They'll tell you. If you have one you'll need to go to the Garda station. If you don't no harm no foul. Warrants are not a big deal once you sort them out. It's leaving them sitting that might later cause an issue.

Hi i might just do that but if i call up and ask if there is a warrant will they then notify the gardai before i can contact as solicitor if there is one?

Psychedelic Pigeon

If you didn't hurt anyone whats the problem? no injured party no crime, and that was a smart move not signing their paperwork thats how they screw people, don't sign anything!

Santa Cruz

Psychedelic Pigeon wrote: »

If you didn't hurt anyone whats the problem? no injured party no crime, and that was a smart move not signing their paperwork thats how they screw people, don't sign anything!

I'd say myself it was drunkeness rather than smartness but it seems to have worked.
Your friend seems to have taken the rap and you were just picked up because they couldn't leave you at the side of the street.
Whatever about Dublin I don't think there would be a big volume of warrants to go through in Carlow so it's likely there is none there for you

Little CuChulainn

Psychedelic Pigeon wrote: »

If you didn't hurt anyone whats the problem? no injured party no crime, and that was a smart move not signing their paperwork thats how they screw people, don't sign anything!

What he was asked to sign was a caution. He chose a summons by not signing the caution.

Op you can ring the Garda station and ask if you have a warrant. Give them whatever details you gave on the night. Ask if you can make arrangements to have it executed. Call a solicitor and ask him to represent you on the day. Or call him first and ask him to do the other stuff. Bench warrants last forever so it's not going anywhere.

Zambia

Psychedelic Pigeon wrote: »

If you didn't hurt anyone whats the problem? no injured party no crime, and that was a smart move not signing their paperwork thats how they screw people, don't sign anything!

Get in the ****ing sack

seamus

Santa Cruz wrote: »

i would imagine that if there was a bench warrant in existence surely at some point the Gardai would have called to arrest you

This. Most likely someone would have dropped down to your mother's house and knocked on the door for a chat.
I think each station gets a daily update or similar of warrants issued for the arrests of people whose last address is in that station's jurisidiction.

My brother got a phone call from a Garda mate breaking his crap laughing one day that he'd just seen a bench warrant pop up on pulse for my brother. Turned out to be a TV licence issue that had gone to court without my brother ever being notified, but the bench warrant appeared on pulse pretty much immediately, so I doubt it would be possible for there to be a warrant out for you and you hear nothing about it, unless you've completely left the country for a number of years.

lifeandtimes

seamus wrote: »

This. Most likely someone would have dropped down to your mother's house and knocked on the door for a chat.
I think each station gets a daily update or similar of warrants issued for the arrests of people whose last address is in that station's jurisidiction.

My brother got a phone call from a Garda mate breaking his crap laughing one day that he'd just seen a bench warrant pop up on pulse for my brother. Turned out to be a TV licence issue that had gone to court without my brother ever being notified, but the bench warrant appeared on pulse pretty much immediately, so I doubt it would be possible for there to be a warrant out for you and you hear nothing about it, unless you've completely left the country for a number of years.

Hi,only thing though i wasnt lving in my moher address at the time, i was living in carlow town and would have given that address, i noyl mentioned my mothers as i did recieve a registered letter which i thought may have been it.

But i have used my mother address as correspondance and on revenue websites and such so i would assume with that being an address i have used before they would have called to see if i was there maybe?