Minnesota Arrest Warrants

One of the ongoing problems facing our nation's criminal justice system is the overcrowding of our prisons. There are many reasons for this and political pundits wrestle with this issue all the time. Some favor decriminalization of drug laws to lower the prison population. Others think this is an matter of ending poverty and improving employment opportunities.

Whatever the fix, one fact can't be denied. Most of the incarcerated prisoners are there because an arrest warrant was sworn out in their name. Yes, many were caught in the act of a crime, but for everyone else there was a warrant.

Minnesota arrest warrants fall into two categories: a bench or felony warrant. Both are issued by a sitting judge and both must be resolved before that same judge. Whether you are picked up or turn yourself in, a warrant means you'll be going through the entire arrest booking process.

Minnesota Bench Warrants
Would you believe that ignoring a jury summons can lead to an arrest? Actually, it could. A jury summons is considered an official order of the court. Ignoring that means you are defying the court and a judge is well within their rights to swear out a bench warrant in your name. Other circumstances that might generate a bench warrant are unpaid traffic tickets or child support.

If you were ordered to participate in an anger management course and refused to attend, you could also have a bench warrant sworn out against you. The bottom line is that if you are given a court order, you should follow it to completion.

Minnesota Felony Warrants
A felony warrant is issued when a judge is presented with compelling evidence that a particular person is guilty of a criminal offense. The speed with which the police department will carry out this warrant depends a lot on the type of crime. If it is an issue involving injury or murder then you can bet the police will make every effort to carry out the warrant with an immediate arrest.

Your Rights With An Arrest Warrant
At the point when an arrest warrant has been issued in your name, you will be arrested if confronted by an officer of the court. This can happen during a routine traffic stop or even getting your car registered. Any official business with any type of government agency can trigger the warrant. And they stay in effect until the matter is resolved in court.

You can check the Minnesota criminal record archives to see if there is a warrant issued in your name. You do not have to be present or even notified that a warrant has been issued. Once your name is in the database, then it becomes your responsibility to clear it up.

Keep in mind that someone who is fraudulently using your name to commit crimes could also cause a warrant to be issued in your name. This could happen in another state but you could be arrested in Minnesota. If anything like this were to happen, your first call should be to a criminal defense lawyer. It's the only way to protect yourself once you enter the criminal justice system.