Check for arrest warrants and stay out of trouble
Can you imagine what could happen to you if you have an arrest warrant and you choose to ignore the fact? When you get stopped for a police routine auto check or for any other reason, they can and often do check for any warrants you might have out on you. If they find that you are wanted then they will arrest you on the spot. When they have you in custody they may take a DNA sample from you which could land you in serious trouble if they can match it to a crime scene.
Do you have speeding offences or unpaid fines?
You might have arrest warrants that you aren’t aware of for a number of reasons. You might have a speeding offence that you haven’t been notified of yet or you might have forgotten to pay a fine or even forgotten to turn up in court when you should have. Any of these things could trigger a warrant for your arrest being issued.
You might hear nothing about your arrest warrant for a long time depending on how serious the offence was and how motivated the police are in your area. One day they will get around to you and you will get a knock at the door early one day and be dragged off to jain.
Do you even know that you have a warrant?
If you know that you’ve done something wrong or forgot to turn up in court, or you’ve offended in some other way then you can guess that you do have an outstanding arrest warrant. But just think, what if you didn’t ever receive that speeding ticket or you didn’t know about the court appearance. Even worse, you might be a victim of identity theft and someone else has committed a crime for you. In this case you will not have any idea that there is a warrant out for you unless you make a point of checking for yourself.
Are you an identity theft victim?
Identity theft is a booming business for criminals and a horrific nightmare for you if you become a victim. Almost everyone has either had their identity compromised or knows of someone who’s had it stolen. It’s very common that the victims don’t know that someone is using their name for months or even years and then they only find out when they notice money missing out of their bank account or they receive bills for things that they didn’t order.
Now when someone steals your identity and commits a crime in your name it’s called criminal identity theft. When this happens you could end up with arrest warrants for crimes you didn’t commit. You could have multiple warrants in many different states or even different countries.
Don’t wait for the police to come for you – Find your warrants first
Here are some simple ways that you can check for active arrest warrants
- Ignore the possibility until the police come for you.
- Ask an officer of the law if you have a warrant.
- Ask at the courthouse.
- Search a public records database.
Ignore the possibility of a warrant and wait for the police
This is what most people do I suspect but do you want to be the same as everyone else and risk the possibility of an embarrassing visit from the police one day then spending at least a little time in jail.
Ask an officer of the law if you have a warrant
Asking a police officer is an efficient way of finding out if you have a warrant. Unfortunately it’s an efficient way of getting arrested too. If you do have one the officer will be obliged to arrest you. If you choose to try this then go with your bag packed just in case.
Ask at the courthouse.
If you know where your warrant was issued then asking at the appropriate courthouse is a good way to find your warrants. If you have remembered that you’ve missed a court appearance or have some unpaid fines or something then it shouldn’t be too difficult to find out where the correct records office is located. This can sometimes be a good way to locate your warrants and you are less likely to get arrested this way either.
Search a public records database.
Public records web sites keep massive databases of background information that can be found elsewhere if only you knew where to look for it. The best public records databases have been built over many years and they are being constantly updated from hundreds if not, thousands of different sources. There are billions of records available for you to access and arrest warrants are just one of the many information groups that they specialize in.
Author: Steve Gee