bench warrant

noun

: a warrant issued by a presiding judge or by a court against a person guilty of contempt or indicted for a crime

Examples of bench warrant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The next month, the court issued a bench warrant for his arrest. —

David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 10 Sep. 2024 Police officers have not been able to find bench warrants or protective orders that were filed, leaving them unable to enforce those orders. —

Kristal Dixon, Axios, 8 Aug. 2024 At the time of his arrest last week, the man was wanted on a $2,500 bench warrant for failing to show up to a February court hearing for the Oakland vandalism case. —

Harry Harris, The Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2024 She was arrested by U.S. Marshals earlier this year after a Michigan judge issued a bench warrant for missing a hearing in her case. —

CBS News, 14 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bench warrant

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bench warrant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1680, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of bench warrant was in 1680

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Bench warrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bench%20warrant. Accessed 20 Sep. 2024.

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