What is a warrant for arrest?

A warrant is something that the judge signs in order to allow a police officer to arrest you and hold you in jail until you appear in court. A warrant in Utah can be issued for various monetary amounts and is dependent on how serious the charge is.

How do I know if there is a warrant for my arrest?

If you suspect that you may have a warrant for your arrests, you should contact an attorney as soon as you can. An attorney can look up the warrant and can tell you what it is for. 

Can I handle a warrant myself?

Generally, when you contact an attorney for a consultation, they can tell you whether or not you can handle the warrant yourself. If it is something minor, like a traffic ticket, you may be able to contact the court to set a date to see the judge to get it taken care of. 

If your case is more serious, it is generally recommended that you hire an attorney to help you get the warrant taken care of. An attorney can help you to get the warrant recalled and may be able to arrange a time to appear in court to take care of the warrant. 

Can I travel when I have a warrant out for my arrest?

Technically, yes. However, it is generally not advisable to take any unnecessary risks by traveling by air. Additionally, you should drive very carefully in order to avoid traffic tickets while the warrant is active. 

What is an “active warrant”?

An active warrant is a warrant that has been issued by the judge. A warrant will remain active until the subject of the warrant is arrested and booked into jail or a judge recalls it.

To read more about Utah’s warrants, click here.

To find more advice on what to do about a possible warrant for your arrest, click here.

Intermountain Legal offers legal representation for those who have been accused of sex crimes. Our attorneys understand the sensitive nature of these types of cases and possess the discretionary skills needed to handle them effectively. Intermountain Legal’s sex crimes attorneys handle both violent and non-violent sex crimes including:

• Rape
• Statutory rape
• Sexual battery
• Sexual abuse of a child
• Bigamy
• Incest
• Child pornography
• Soliciting a minor
• Lewd conduct
• Voyeurism
• Internet Sex Crimes
• Juvenile sex offenses

Sentencing for Sex Crimes and Sex Offender Registration

Utah uses something called an “intermediate sentencing system” meaning that a judge and the Board of Pardons and Parole has some discretion in determining a defendant’s release date and sentencing requirements. The caveat is that some sex crimes carry mandatory sentencing requirements in which a defendant who is convicted of a certain crime, such as sexual assault, is required to spend a specific amount of time in prison.

Hiring a defense attorney that specializes in defending those who have been charged with sex crimes is generally worth the time and effort since defendants who are convicted generally continue to feel the effects of of conviction long after the case is over.

Call or text Intermountain Legal at 801-990-4200 for a free consultation.

What is a protective order?

A protective order can help stop abuse by prohibiting the alleged abuser from contacting the victim. Having a protective order in place can make it a crime for the abuser to contact you or your family. 

The order may also prohibit the abuser from obtaining access to weapons or essential property like vehicles. Protective orders can protect those who may be at risk for domestic violence and help victims preserve some financial security. 

How to get a protective order

Protective orders exist and are available to those over the age of 16 who were victims of abuse or who fear abuse at the hands of the following:

• relative, 
• cohabitant, 
• partner, 
• spouse or 
• Some other person with whom they have a relationship with. 

An attorney an Intermountain Legal can help you obtain a protective order. Read more about them here.

Reasons to get a protective order

Oftentimes, a protective order is sought out because of violence or physical abuse. However, a protective order may be issued for other reasons:

• Stalking 
• Threats
• Other menacing conduct

Read the Utah Code about protective orders here.

Child Protection order

An adult can obtain a protective order on behalf of a minor child. This is called a “Child Protective Order”.

Violation of a protective order

A violation of a protective order occurs when there is probable cause that an order was violated. Police officers will make an arrest and a restrained person who violates the order may immediately be taken to jail. A violation of a protective order is typically charged as a Class A misdemeanor with a penalty of up to one year in jail and a fine of $2500. If you need help defending yourself against an order violation, read more here. 

What’s the difference between a restraining order and a protective-order?

You may obtain a restraining order to keep someone from doing something nefarious. A restraining order can help make sure that the spouse you’re trying to get divorced from doesn’t damage property, cancel utility bills or insurance policies that both of your names are on. 

A protective order can be issued to you in abusive situations, possibly where you have been the victim of domestic violence. A protective order’s goal is to keep the abuser away from the victim with provisions in place that punish the abuser if they violate it. 

Have questions?

If you have questions about how to get a protective order or how to get help defending one, call or text Intermountain Legal at 801-990-4200 to schedule a consultation.

New Year’s No-Nos | Salt Lake DUI Attorney Tip Of The Week

Additionally, in collaboration with Utah Patients Coalition, we have created a brief legal analysis and letter you can download and take to your medical provider.

Our Utah medical marijuana/cannabis resources (PDFs available):

• – Tips, FAQs & Patient Checklist
• – Legal Analysis & Letter for Your Doctor

Related: Utah medical marijuana news articles featuring Intermountain Legal attorney(s):

• – “Utah medical marijuana patients running into trouble with police, prosecutors under the law” (KSL)
• – “Man arrested with cannabis in his car, but not charged, could be an indicator of how Utah’s medical marijuana law will be treated”  (Fox 13 Now)
• – “This cannabis patient is believed to be the first in Utah to face drug charges since the new state law was enacted” (Salt Lake Tribune)

UPR wrote, “A new scholarship is being offered to students at Utah universities through a law-firm in Salt Lake. What makes this scholarship unique? You have to be accused of or found guilty of a crime to qualify…. ‘I can’t think of any other scholarship where a qualification is that you’ve been accused of a crime,’ said Steve Burton, a criminal defense attorney and an owner at Intermountain Legal…. Burton said Intermountain Legal started the $1,500 scholarship, titled “Casualties of Justice,” to help the new victims the justice system might create – the actual perpetrators of the crime…”  Read full article here.

A New Victim

It is human nature to want to bring justice to victims. But when the criminal justice system gets it wrong, the opposite happens. The law creates a new victim, the innocent person who was falsely accused or convicted, or even a guilty person who is punished too severely.  Sometimes the system also re-victimizes the original victims by pursuing cases that victims want dropped, or by using their statements without their consent.  The recent Supreme Court confirmation hearings remind us that people’s judgements are influenced as much by personal beliefs as they are by evidence.  This is exactly why it is so important to uphold the presumption of innocence when people are accused of crimes and are facing a loss of their freedom.

How Can We Help

Intermountain Legal has represented both criminal defendants and victims of crime and has seen how the system often falls short or goes too far, unintentionally creating more harm than good.  Because of this, our firm has created the “Casualties of Justice” scholarship to benefit those who have been harmed by the criminal justice system itself.  Intermountain Legal will award $1,500 to someone who has been accused of, arrested for, or convicted of a crime and suffered unjust consequences because of a failure of the system or because of an unfair law. Students who have had a close family member in the same situation also qualify.

How to Apply

To be considered for the scholarship, any student currently enrolled or accepted to any State-sponsored or private (not-for-profit) college or university in Utah can submit a short video or essay explaining their or their family member’s negative experience with the criminal justice system and how the system should be improved.  The submission deadline is December 1, 2018.

To apply, visit intermountainlegal.net and click the “Apply Now” button.