Iowa active warrants are judicial orders which are released with the express purpose of calling for the detention of a person accused in a criminal matter. These detention decrees are typically sought when the police don’t have as much information on the suspect and when arrests cannot be made immediately after a criminal act has been commissioned.
Detentions effected without IA active warrants
As long as the police reach the scene of the incident when the perpetrator is committing the act or is about to flee the area, he can be taken into custody without seeking an active warrant. Police also get a free hand when making arrests in felonious matters as long as they have probable cause which shows clear complicity in a crime.
However, when the infraction at the core of the charge is a misdemeanor, the offense will have to be witnessed by a police officer for law enforcement to be able to detain the accused without an arrest warrant. Active warrants from IA are also preferred for the numerous legal liberties that they bring along.
Why do the police seek arrest warrants?
Police from any part of the state can make arrests under warrants, even if the order was not issued within their judicial district. This works in the benefits of officers who are pursuing a criminal, as they can garner the support of other law enforcement agencies which gives them a wider geographic reach. Moreover, once an active warrant is released against a suspect, information on the order is shared among various factions of the justice community.
The further the notice of the warrant travels, the greater are the chances of the culprit being taken into custody. Another crucial factor to consider is that police officers who are acting under arrest warrants can detain an accused at any time of the day and even at night. He can be apprehended from a public property and also private premises.
However, sheriff’s deputies will need a search warrant to enter properties that are owned by third parties. To ensure that the grueling paperwork does not impede the process of making arrests, search and arrest warrants can be sought on the same affidavit. For the release of an active warrant, the police mandatorily have to go to a tribunal in the area that exercises authority in criminal matters.
The exclusive traits of Iowa arrest warrants
Active warrants from the state are not restricted by the Statute of Limitations; this simply means that there are no measurable restrictions of time placed on these orders. The only condition that has to be fulfilled for the warrant to be returned is the arrests of the offenders. Once an accused is detained by the police, as a matter of legal procedure, the original arrest warrant is returned to the court that issued it.
Since these directives are not recalled unless the prosecution chooses to go to court with the request for dismissing the order, a case can remain open indefinitely once an arrest warrant has been issued. It should also be understood that minor typing errors will not impact the decree in any way.
Even when the mistakes are contextual or lexical, the defense has to either prove that the basis on which probable cause was ascertained does not hold true or that the rights of the accused were comprised through the release of the active warrants for the order to be quashed. This makes arrest warrants a very powerful tool against criminals who are to be taken into custody.
Finding information on IA active warrants
One way to get information quickly on arrest warrants that are yet to be served is to look at the most wanted list of the different counties of IA. Some areas and offices that do offer this provision online are:
- Iowa DEA: https://www.dea.gov/fugitives/stl/stl_div_list.shtml
- Black Hawk County: http://www.bhcso.org/ContentPage.aspx?name=mostwanted
- Cerro Gordo County: http://www.cgcounty.org/i-want-to/view
- Chickasaw County: http://www.chickasawcoia.org/sheriff/mostwanted.asp
- Clayton County: http://www.claytoncountyia.gov/gallery.aspx?AID=2
- Fayette County: http://www.fayettecountysheriff.com/mostwanted.htm
- Iowa City: http://www.iowasexoffender.com/mostwanted/
- Cedar Rapids City: https://www.crimereports.com/agency/CedarRapids
- Marshall County: http://www.marshallcountysheriff.com/wanted.php
- Plymouth County: http://plymouthcountysheriff.com/disclaimer.php?id=2
- Des Moines City: https://www.dmgov.org/Pages/default.aspx
- Scott County: https://www.scottcountyiowa.us/sheriff/temp-warrants.php