Someone with an active warrant for their arrest from a Massachusetts court can be arrested at any time if they encounter the police. Additionally, a person with a warrant can be prevented from obtaining or renewing a driver's license and be denied Social Security or Medicare benefits until the warrant is removed. In Massachusetts, there are two types of arrest warrants.
One is called a default Warrant, and the other is a straight warrant. A default warrant is issued when a person fails to appear in court after being given the notice; for example, a person is arrested and brought to a police station, then the police call in a bail commissioner who sets cash bail. Someone then puts up the cash bail and signs a "promise to appear" in court at a specified time and date. Then a default warrant fails to appear in court, and that's when a default warrant is issued.
The secondary warrant is a straight warrant issued when the police go to a court and ask the court to issue a criminal complaint against an individual, and the police want to arrest them. Rather than have them summoned into court, the court issues a "straight" warrant to the police so they can go out and try to locate the person and arrest them. Another example of a straight warrant is when a person is on probation and fails to report or respond to their probation officer.
Then the probation officer can go to the Judge and ask to issue a straight warrant for their arrest.
At Castel & Hall law, we regularly help clients deal with complicated warrant removal situations. Are capable and professional lawyers can often resolve the problem quickly and efficiently so that clients can immediately move forward.