Rules Regarding the Issuing of an Oklahoma Arrest Warrant

Laws regarding arrest warrants and arrest procedures vary across state lines. So if you are a resident of Oklahoma, there are possibilities that the arrest procedures are different from those in Wisconsin. You should be aware of the laws regarding these so that you are not deprived of your constitutional and legal rights. You should also know where to look for Oklahoma arrest warrant records so that you may run background criminal checks on dubious individuals and ensure your safety.

Oklahoma Arrest Warrant Laws

Oklahoma arrest warrant laws are governed by the rulings of the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. As per these rules, an arrest can be made in Oklahoma only on the basis of a valid arrest warrant. Oklahoma arrest warrants should in turn be issued only if there exists a “probable cause” or a reasonable amount of belief that a crime has taken place and that the arrestee was or is involved in it. The court administration supervises all the affairs of the Oklahoma municipal courts and this includes bench and arrest warrant services, probation and warrant processing.

There are however exceptions to these arrest laws. Oklahoma law enforcement officers may carry out arrests without warrants for felony cases that have occurred in public spaces and the officer believes that the suspect has committed the crime, in instances of misdemeanors in the presence of an officer, and in felony cases in private places if the arresting officer feels that any delay may lead to the escape of the felon.

An arrest in Oklahoma is deemed invalid if the warrant that has led to it is proved defective later on. In such a case, the evidence gathered during the arrest and the confessions of the arrested are suppressed.

In Oklahoma, the Miranda Rule comes into play once you are in custody and before the interrogation begins. As per this rule, the arrestee has the right to remain silent, have an attorney present during the interrogation, and have an attorney represent him without any cost.

In this context, it is worth mentioning that in Oklahoma a “stop” is not akin to an “arrest.” You may be stopped for questioning by a law enforcement officer. In this case, you may be detained, but you will not be moved to a separate location, nor will you be deprived of your personal liberty. The police officer may ask you questions, but it is perfectly legal to refuse to answer them. The Miranda Rights are not applicable at this point.

Citizen’s Arrest Laws in Oklahoma

Oklahoma is one of the few states in the United States to have legalized citizen's arrests. A citizen’s arrest is a situation when a person, who is not a bona fide law enforcement official, prevents someone else from violating the law and makes an arrest. When a crime is taking place and there are no law enforcement officials around, witnesses are empowered by the law to carry out a citizen’s arrest. Laws however do prohibit exercising unnecessary force during the arrest. To protect victim rights, citizen arrest laws in Oklahoma also dictate that persons making a false arrest shall be prosecuted in the local courts.

Oklahoma Arrest Warrant Records

The Oklahoma County Warrant Division maintains the warrants that are generated every day in the state. Each day, new warrants are entered into the system, given to the suspects, and also recalled if necessary. The Division maintains over 45,000 warrant records.

The Division is also entrusted with the responsibility of entering the names of people in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) registry and placing holds on defendants who have been booked by the law in other states, counties, or countries.

The Warrant Division is open 24 hours a day and you call them at any time of the day at (405) 713-2042 if you want to check on the validity of any warrant. Or you may visit their site, http://www.oklahomacounty.org/sheriff/judicialservices/recordsandwarrants.asp to delve into their extensive records.

Oklahoma Arrest Records

The Oklahoma County Records Division maintains the records of every person who has been arrested or has been detained at the Oklahoma County Detention Center. Every month, about 3,000 people are jailed in Oklahoma on average and information on them is required to be entered into the permanent records. From 2006 onward, the Division also started documenting DNA samples from the parolees.

Over the years, searching for Oklahoma arrest records has eased considerably and this is entirely due to the efforts of the Scanning Section. This section digitally scans all the arrest records that exist in any Oklahoma county sheriff’s office, and some of these records date as far back as the early 1900s. These are stored electronically and can be accessed at http://www.oklahomacounty.org/sheriff/judicialservices/recordsandwarrants.asp, for criminal background check purposes.

The Records Division also assists the masses with searching fingerprint records, checking firearm applications, and providing incident reports. Thousands of permanent records related to arrest warrants, arrests, and inmate details in Oklahoma are thus only a click away.