Indiana Arrest Warrants

By now most of us have had a chance to watch the popular series “Cops.” There we get a first hand look at how police departments operate. If a police officer is responding to a call for help they can enter the premises if they fear someone might be in danger. They can also enter the premises if they’ve been ordered to carry out an Indiana arrest warrant.

All they are obligated to do is identify themselves upon entry but they’ve got the right to bust down doors or windows in order to serve that arrest warrant. Do you really want to be on the wrong side of that force? If an Indiana arrest warrant has been sworn out in your name you might not have any say in the matter.

Arrest warrant
A typical Indiana arrest warrant starts off when you are the suspect in a criminal offense. This can either be a minor misdemeanor offense or a major felony case. Somewhere along the line, law enforcement officials were presented with evidence that has implicated you in this criminal offense. This doesn’t mean you are guilty, but merely a suspect and being as suspect is enough to have an Indiana arrest warrant issued in your name.

You become a suspect when evidence is presented to a grand jury by a member of the district attorney’s office or when evidence is present directly to the police. If the evidence in either one of those instances is compelling enough, then a judge will issue the arrest warrant. The next thing that happens is the cops come knocking at your door.

Bench warrant
However, you don’t have to be suspected of a criminal offense to have a warrant sworn out in your name. You could have an Indiana bench warrant issued in your name. This type of warrant has more to do with civil matters versus criminal matters but they are treated just as seriously by the courts.

A bench warrant is issued when you have failed to uphold a court order or obligation. Remember that parking ticket you got a while ago and didn’t think it was important to pay? That can add up towards a bench warrant. If you failed to pay any fines or court ordered penalties then you can find yourself having a bench warrant sworn out in your name.

Find out before you are picked up
Often, people don’t know if they have an Indiana arrest warrant in their name until they are actually under arrest. Luckily in this internet age, it’s easy to conduct a search on one of the many Indiana databases which provide warrant information.

If you find an arrest warrant in your name, you should seek out the advice of a lawyer right away. They can help you clear up this matter. And by clear up, this means appearing in front of the judge who issued the arrest warrant in the first place. That’s the only way to clear your name. Don’t let an Indiana arrest warrant catch you by surprise.