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Bench Warrant Division
Purpose
The Bench Warrants Division is responsible for a variety of duties, including but not limited to the following:- Processing bench warrants issued by the courts
- Attempting to locate and apprehend fugitives from justice
- Extraditing fugitives back to Cumberland County to face their charges
- Investigating crimes involving County employees or County owned and/or leased properties
- Offering fingerprinting services to law school students and Cumberland County residents for employment purposes
What is A Bench Warrant?
A bench warrant is issued by a Judge or District Magistrate for persons deemed to be in contempt of court. A person is considered to be in contempt of court when he/she deliberately violates an order or condition given to them by a Judge or District Magistrate. Bench warrants can be issued for both criminal and civil matters. A bench warrant authorizes the immediate on-site arrest of the individual subject to the bench warrant.
Bench Warrant Process
If you are issued a bench warrant in Cumberland County you are first notified by mail that a bench warrant has been issued for your arrest. Once you receive such notification you should immediately contact the county office stated in the letter. In most cases you can make arrangements with that office and the bench warrant will be vacated when you comply with those arrangements.Once a bench warrant comes into our office, the information on the warrant is immediately entered into at least three systems that forward your information to all law enforcement agencies throughout the state of Pennsylvania. In some cases where extradition is approved, your information is forwarded to all law enforcement agencies throughout the country.
On top of providing your information to all appropriate law enforcement agencies, our office also gathers as much information as possible on your whereabouts and dedicates time to attempt to locate you whether it is at your home, your place of employment, or any other place you may be. In order to avoid possible embarrassment, if you believe you may have a bench warrant please contact our office at (717) 240-6396.