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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
Lexington residents owe police $1.7 million in fines, and the city court has issued bench warrants authorizing the arrest of more than 650 people — roughly half of the city’s population — because of unpaid fines, Assistant Atty.
—Alanna Durkin Richer and Michael Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024
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
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
Dictionary Entries Near bench warrant
Cite this Entry
“Bench warrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bench%20warrant. Accessed 22 Oct. 2024.
Legal Definition
bench warrant
see warrant
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