What is a Felony Warrant

A felony warrant is issued by law enforcement and authorizes the detention or arrest of a particular individual. This is also referred to as the warrant for arrest. Generally a felony warrant is required for serious crimes or misdemeanors that do not occur within the police officer’s view.

Felony warrants are issued by the courts. Warrants can also be issued by the United States Congress or other legislative and political bodies. There are certain rules according to which warrants are published. A felony warrant is a warrant of arrest including a signed affidavit depicting the probable cause for the warrant. Probable cause for issuing a warrant can be any specific crime committed or the involvement of the person in a crime for which an arrest warrant has been ordered by the court.

Points mentioned in a warrant are the manner of the crime, the offender’s name, the possible date of bail, the penalty amount for the bail and the name of the judge who has issued the warrant. A related document that accompanies a warrant is a mittimus which is a particular kind of writ which addresses the sheriff or the Officer in Charge to inform a jailor to imprison a felon.

There are two types of felony warrants: outstanding arrest warrants and bench warrants. A warrant is outstanding if the person is unaware of the warrant, if the person is deliberately escaping the law, if there is a backlog of warrants in the agency responsible for publishing the warrant, or where a combination of these factors are involved. Outstanding arrest warrants have not been served.

California issued around 2.5 million outstanding warrants in the year 1999. Other cities like Los Angeles, New Orleans, Maryland have a long list of these types of warrants. Warrants can also be taken out for restricting a driver’s license or a passport.

Bench Warrants

Criminal court or the civil court publishes the bench warrant. Judges issue bench warrants to persons who are in contempt of court. This may be the outcome of the person’s failure to report at the specified date or time for a court hearing or appearance. The bench warrant is a subtype of a felony warrant arrest which ensures immediate on-site arrest.

If the court does not find the convict at the time allotted for a hearing then the bail is canceled or higher penalty amounts are set for a reapplication of the bail. Before posting bail a felon remains in the custody of law. Sometimes, the court orders no bail if a person is arrested on the basis of a bench arrest. Bench warrants are typically issued by judges or magistrates.

Searching Felony Warrants

Felony warrants are useful records to search in a particular state or county. These warrants are regularly updated according to the daily inputs. You can search for any inmate whose has been detained on a warrant. These searches permit you to investigate whether someone is filed with the court. The Freedom of Information Act protects you from criminals by posting all information about warrants on the internet.

Take note of the warrant date, type, state, county and name of the felon and detailed records can be retrieved about the particular inmate. These warrants can be browsed in the sheriff’s office, local law enforcement bodies and state judicial centers. The statute of limitations for felony warrants does not apply once an offense is filed. The expiration of the warrant depends on the processes of the law enforcement and the required tenure. If a person is charged with a FTA (failure to appear) then the warrant span will increase. Basically the warrant expiration has no definite period.

To get rid of your felony warrant you should contact the court which will prove to be a self surrender and know about the details of the warrant regulations. Discuss bail possibilities and amount. If no bail amount is set and the person is arrested then you would have to be jail until the judge calls for a hearing. Contact the sheriff’s office and the bail bondsman to post the bail. An average fee of about 10 to 15 percent of the bail is allotted to the bail bondsman. For aggravated issues hire an attorney.