Outstanding warrants from Iowa are detention directives that have been issued by the court to the police but these have yet to be executed. Directives that call for the search and seizure of a person or property require probable cause as the basis for their issue. It is the responsibility of the sheriff’s department or the law enforcement agency that is in charge of handling the crime to supply the information on which the probable cause determination can be made.
The beginning of criminal proceedings against an accused
Pursuant to the laws of Iowa, a suspect can be picked up from the scene of the crime, while he is committing the criminal act or as he is fleeing the crime scene, without an arrest warrant. If the offense in question can be deemed a felony, arrests can be made without warrants as long as the police have probable cause against the suspect.
Whether the accused is detained through the use of an outstanding warrant or without one, he will be marched down to the police precinct where his fingerprints, mug shots and other personal identifying details will be recorded. After the detention the suspect has to be taken to court without unnecessary delay.
If an arrest warrant has not been issued in a case, till the point at which the defendant is made to stand before the magistrate, the police have the authority to release him. However, if an outstanding warrant was sanctioned in the name of the offender, only the magistrate can grant release. This can be done under personal recognizance or a bond.
The reach and validity of outstanding warrants from IA
Depending on the nature of the crime, an outstanding warrant from Iowa may simply be valid within the issuing county or have nationwide reach. Typically, only federal arrest warrants have multi state validity. However, if the matter in question is a serious felony, and the accused is detained in another state under the warrant, Iowa can sanction the extradition of this person to the county in which he is wanted.
Typically, active warrants that are linked to minor infractions that involve violation of civic and traffic laws, expect for DUI/DWI will only be valid within the county of issue. A misdemeanor arrest warrant can be valid across counties only if the sheriff’s department of the issuing county agrees to extradite him when the offender is taken into custody. However, active warrants connected to felonies can be served in any area of the state and often in other parts of the country as well.
Something also needs to be said about the validity of arrest warrants which is poles apart from the other legal directives. Search warrants, criminal summons and subpoenas all have a fixed period of affectivity. If not used within this interval, the order lapses and the police have to approach the court for a new decree.However, this is not the case with arrest warrants.
An outstanding warrant from Iowa will stay in effect till the accused is arrested. This along with the fact that arrest warrants are only issued after the evidence available is thoroughly scrutinized are reasons enough to launch a warrant search. If you find a detention order in the name of the subject that has not been served, do not assume that the case has been dismissed or forgotten.
How to initiate an outstanding warrant search?
To investigate the issue of arrest warrants in IA, you have scores of options, from the police to the judiciary and even private firms. However, the simplest way to look for information on outstanding warrants and one that is absolutely free is to check out the list of detention orders posted on the website of various police departments. These can be found at:
- Black hawk County: http://www.bhcso.org/WarrantSearch.aspx
- Cerro Gordo County: http://www.cgcounty.org/home/showdocument?id=1020
- Dickinson County: http://www.dickinsoncountysheriff.com/index.php/what-we-do/jail/warrants
- Fayette County: http://www.fayettecountysheriff.com/warrant_list.htm
- Johnson County and Linn County: http://www.thegazette.com/2009/07/09/outstanding-arrest-warrants
- Shelby County: http://www.shco.org/Departments/Sheriff/ActiveWarrants.aspx
- Sioux County: http://www.siouxcountysheriff.com/jail%20warrants.pdf