How to deal with a warrant for my arrest.?

[jabin20]

September 5, 2011, me and the family are on our way home from Sacramento to Los Angeles area when my wife notices signs to a campground near Bakersfield. She wants to check it out for future reference. Pull up and notice a sign "FOR DAY USE $6 FEE". Well, we aren't using it, we want to drive through real quick to check it out. We're half way through when we get stopped by the "Sheriff", who by the way was on a huge power trip. "Wheres your paperwork" he says. I told him we weren't using it for the day, we wanted to check it out for future reference. He said that if we didn't pay the $6 we are getting a ticket. I thought this is BS but, whatever. 30 minutes later he comes back to the car and tells me to step out. Then proceeds to tell me he could arrest me for "stealing gov't property". I was super nice listened to what he had to say told him I didn't realize...etc. Then he told me I'd receive ticket in the mail, to pay it and it'll be done with. Fast fwd to 10/8/2011. I receive a notice there is a warrant for my arrest. I looked at my ticked and apparently I was supposed to show up on 09/28/2011 in a court that is 2 hours from my house (3hours with traffic)
I called the court and the lady told me I was to take a day off work and show up Tues-Fri at 8AM to go before a judge. If I plead guilty and pay the fine (Lord knows what thats gonna be) I will then have a misdemeanor on my record. I'm a 30 year old law abiding citizen with no more than 2 speeding tickets in my life.
What should I do?
How much should I expect to pay for this?
Someone please give me some answers. I have always respected law enforcement but this "Sargent" has left a really bad taste in my mouth. Thanks in advance.

[chatima]

To be honest I would go to court and explain this to the judge. I would also ask that he dismiss this as you were merely looking. You had no camping equipment, you had nothing to camp with in your car. There was no reason for the officer not to believe you. If the judge does not dismiss it I would ask for a jury trial. The judge is not going to want something as silly as this wasting the court's time.

But please be careful between now and court. If you get pulled over for ANYTHING, or if you have to call the police for any reason, you are going to jail due to the warrant.

[dubh35]

I didn't read this because it was so long, but if you are having an issue with your arrest, then you WILL be given a fair trial. That's what the courts are for. Either get a lawyer or have the court appoint you one.