A bench warrant is a formal order of the court to law enforcement officers to arrest and bring to jail a person who has failed to appear in court at a determined time and place. A bench warrant recall is a reversal of authorization to make an arrest. Usually, once the warrant is paid or a court appointment is reserved, the court will recall the warrant to avoid an arrest. In the case of many bench warrants, if a person retains an attorney before he or she is picked up or arrested, the defense attorney can usually prevail upon the court to recall the bench warrant and permit the attorney to make an appearance for the defendant.
