Can the police issue a warrant for my arrest in another state but not tell me why?
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Can the police issue a warrant for my arrest in another state but not tell me why?
I live in TX but went to LA to drop a friend off. This 18 year old girl threw a cell phone in my truck and it hit my 15 year old son in the head, then hit the plastic sunthing on the outside of my window and broke it. She then came up to my window and was going hit me so I drove off. When I got to the stop sign and looked in my rearview mirror she was sitting on the ground, why I don’t know. I left and came home. I didn’t get a phone call that day but the next day I got one from a police officer in that town and he said for me to come back there which is like 2 hours away. He said that I needed to speak to him. I told him I didn’t have the gas to drive back and he said if I didn’t come back he was issuing a warrant for my arrest. I asked him why but he would not tell me. I told him if they were arresting me I needed to know because if so, I wasn’t bring in my kids and have them taken away. He still wouldn’t tell me anything. I went to my local police department and they said don’t go back to that town. Should I get a lawyer or not worry about it?
Asked on January 2, 2012 under Criminal Law, Texas
Answers:
MD, Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
The police can use any tactic to get you to come to them. If you had a warrant for your arrest, your local police department would have had to arrest you. The fact pattern doesn't sound entirely complete because what is missing is who this girl this and how it came to be that she threw her cell phone in your car. If anything, your son has an action against her for assault and you have an action against her for property damage. Talk to a lawyer and see if at least you can find out if a warrant has been issued against you at all. I don't see how as a warrant requires probable cause and I don't see how probable cause exists here unless a piece of the puzzle is missing...like how she knew your name or how the police came to figure out it was you in that altercation.
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