3 Types of Warrants in California
If you suspect that you may have an outstanding warrant in California, we highly advise that you confirm whether your suspicions are true or not by proactively handling this issue as quickly as possible and avoid further problems with the court.
What Types Of Warrants Can Judges Issue In California
There are three types of warrants that a judge can issue in the state of California:
1. Arrest Warrant
This type of warrant gives law enforcement officers the power to arrest the defendant written in the warrant. This is issued when a person is believed to have committed a crime following evidence brought forth by a district attorney or peace officer or after a grand jury indictment.
2. Bench Warrant
Just like the arrest warrant, the bench warrant gives law enforcement officers the power to arrest the person mentioned on the warrant. However, unlike an arrest warrant, this isnt issued because of suspected criminal activity.
Bench warrants are issued when the defendant is found in contempt of court, such as when they:
- Fail to appear in court
- Fail to obey a court order
- Fail to pay a fine
3. Search Warrant
This type of warrant does not give the police the power to arrest someone, but it does give them the authority to search the following:
- person
- home
- vehicle
- business premise
- or any other area
You should know that once a judge signs a warrant, the court clerk will enter it into the relevant court or law enforcement website, making it accessible to anyone who can access the Department of Justice website.
Thus, any police officer nationwide can obtain this information to see if a person has an active arrest warrant.
Find Out If You Have an Outstanding Warrant In California
There are various ways a person can find out if have an active warrant:
1. Search the Sheriff or Court Website
If you have an idea from which county in California your warrant is coming from, you could easily search their Sheriffs department website or courts website to see if they have a warrant issued against you or not. However, this method only works if you are sure which county the order will be coming from.
Remember, court clerks will update arrest warrants on these websites once they are issued. Thus, if you have a warrant out there and a county name, you can definitely use either of these websites to find it.
For example:
