Search for A California Warrant

California warrants are official documents that can be issued by a judge or a magistrate in any of the counties of the California State where the crime was committed. This official document orders the police to arrest and detain the individual who is the subject of the warrant.

A California warrant can be affected by factors such as the nature of the crime committed as well as the previous criminal record of the individual. While a warrant for misdemeanor charges are restricted to the state, warrants for felony crimes remain applicable across the state borders of California State. The record of the warrant usually lasts in the database for an indefinite period or until the arrest is made or it may be dropped when there is a lack of information surrounding a particular case.

The purpose of issuing warrants in California is to enable the law enforcement officers to conduct a search of the person, premises, objects, and materials involving a crime- where a crime has occurred or where there is reasonable proof to indicate that a crime might have been committed or will be committed. A warrant is also issued for traffic accidents or other violations. The warrant enables the officers to arrest the accused and bring him or her into custody where the individual is arraigned.

Types of California Warrants

The arrest warrants and the bench warrants are the common types of warrants issued by the state of California. The California arrest warrants are court orders that direct the law enforcement officers to arrest a person. Once the arrest warrant is issued by a court, the police have the right to detain the individual who is the subject of the warrant and bring him or her into custody. The accused then requires appearing before a judge in a courthouse.

A bench warrant on the other hand is issued when a person fails to appear in a court of law. After a bench warrant has been issued against a person, the law enforcement in the California State has the legal right to not only arrest the subject of the warrant but also force the person to appear in court.

Apart from these two types of warrants in California other warrants includes:

•    Alias Warrants that are issued when the accused fails to appear before a judge in court for the initial appearance following the issuance of a citation against him or her.

•    Capias Warrants are issued when the defendant does not pay a fine following a guilty verdict or for a plea for parole revocation.

Who Can Issue a Warrant in California State

The California warrants are issued and signed by a judge or a special magistrate in the county where the crime was committed. The reason behind this provision is to make sure that the warrant is issued by an individual who is neutral as well as detached from the case.

There are two requirements that need to be met before a judge gives his or her sanction, to issue a warrant in California State. The judge must be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt with substantial evidence to prove that (1) the crime had been committed. (2) The judge should also be convinced that the evidence can support that a criminal offense was in fact committed in the place or is likely to have been committed in the place that has been outlined by the law enforcement official in his or her affidavit requesting the judge to issue a search warrant. For the warrant to be effective the judge must issue and sign the warrant.

Searching for California Warrants

The state of California allows the individuals to check for any outstanding warrants, and citations registered against them in their individual criminal records. To search and access their own records individuals can visit their local county Sheriff’s department or even visit the office of the clerk of the county courts who keep an account of these records. You should be cautious while you search for any outstanding warrants against you form a courthouse because if you discover that there is an outstanding warrant against you the court can immediate order to take you into custody.

A list of the contact address of the office of the various county clerks’ court can be found from: http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/courts/find.htm

You can also access the criminal history records from the local Sheriff’s department. For instance, when you visit the website of the Sheriff’s Department in Orange County, California:http://www.ocsd.org/ you would be able to search and access your criminal history record.The record also includes the details of arrests as well as any outstanding warrants that you may have been issued.

Erasing the Records of Warrants in California

All records of warrants cannot be removed. While minor traffic infractions, citations or warrants get erased when you turn yourself in or are arrested or when you pay the fines associated with the offense (such as traffic tickets, parking tickets) warrants for felonies remain in your records.

To erase or clear up the record for an outstanding arrest warrant against you in the state of California you will either have to prove to a judge in California that the warrant for arrest against you was not valid or you should be able to take care of the initial case that led to the issuance of a warrant against your name.