bench warrant

English

bench warrant (plural bench warrants)

An arrest warrant issued by a court against a person guilty of some contempt or indicted for some crime, authorizing his or her arrest on sight.
- 1982 April 17, Nancy Wechsler, “Activists Back in Jail for Refusing To Testify”, in Gay Community News, page 4:
  A bench warrant authorizing her immediate arrest was issued despite pleas by her counsel, Chokwe Lumumba, suggesting that she may have been detained by illness, unreliable transportation or other circumstances beyond her control.

an arrest warrant issued by a court against a person guilty of some contempt or indicted for some crime, authorizing his or her arrest on sight