Warrant Reform

The Problem

Judges issue millions of arrest warrants (often called “bench warrants”) each year. The vast majority of these are issued because a person charged with a low-level offense missed a court date or did not pay a fine. Bench warrants authorize armed officers to immediately arrest individuals, creating volatile flashpoints of confrontation that can harm both officers and community members. In Minnesota, the discovery of a bench warrant during a routine traffic stop led to the killing of Daunte Wright. Even when arrest warrants don’t turn deadly, they do carry significant consequences: individuals can lose jobs, housing, and even custody over their children due to an arrest. And like many facets of the criminal legal system, bench warrants disproportionately affect Black communities and those living below the poverty line. 

The Solution

The Policing Project’s model legislation proposes a comprehensive approach that addresses the backlog of outstanding warrants, and ensures that going forward, bench warrants are only issued when there is a clear public safety need. It also helps people get to court in the first place so that a bench warrant doesn’t need to be issued. 

To view our two-pager summarizing the key provisions of this statute, click here. 

To read the Policing Project’s Warrant Reform Statute, click here.