If there is a warrant for your arrest in a particular jurisdiction – for example, Alberta, or Canada – the police in that jurisdiction have the authority to arrest you. Once you are arrested, you may be released by a police officer on an appearance notice or undertaking or you may be held while you wait to have a bail hearing in front of a justice of the peace or judge.
In most cases, having a warrant for your arrest is not what some television shows and movies make it out to be – the police are not usually going to great lengths to find you and bring you to jail. However, the police may be searching for you, and if you happen to come across the police (and tell them who you are) for any reason, you will almost certainly be arrested. Even if you happen to drive by a highway patrol officer who runs your license plate through a police database – and police routinely do this – you may be pulled over and arrested.
Having a warrant is serious because you could be arrested at any time. Ignoring a warrant will not make it go away. In fact, once there is a warrant for your arrest, it will remain in place until you are arrested, or the warrant is deemed executed in court. No one wants an arrest warrant hanging over their head. If there is a warrant for your arrest, the best course of action will depend on your circumstances. An experienced Calgary criminal defence lawyer can help you through that process.