Do you have a Ohio Arrest Warrant?

If you're one of the lucky residents of Ohio who has landed a new job, congratulations! But before you pop the champagne cork you need to know that many employers are required to conduct a background check of their prospective hires. This is where the issue of Ohio arrests warrants would come into play. You may actually have an arrest warrant pending in your name and not even know about it. This could mean ending your new career before it gets started.

Does this sound like an urban myth? It's not. In fact, many Ohio residents have found themselves in this exact predicament. First you should understand what an Ohio arrest warrant actually means.

Types of warrants
There are two types of warrants that can be issued by the courts: bench or arrest. A bench warrant applies to a failure to comply with the order of a court. This could be something as serious as missed child support payments or as trivial as a forgotten speeding ticket. One ticket, left unpaid can actually lead to your arrest. A bench warrant means that the court is demanding your presence. The warrant is issued and the next time your name pops up in the system, you can be arrested. This could mean a routine traffic stop can land you in jail.

The other type of warrant is the arrest warrant. This warrant is also issued by the court but it is for a specific criminal offense you are suspected of. Arrest warrants typically follow a grand jury indictment but if there is enough compelling evidence, a judge can issue an arrest warrant without the grand jury.

Here is the most important thing to be aware of when it comes to Ohio arrest warrants: you do not have to be notified that a warrant has been issued in your name until the arrest is made. Think about that. Perhaps a few years back, you got a parking ticket and forgot about to pay it. You moved a couple of times and the reminders to pay never caught up with you. Then you're pulled over for speeding. You name is automatically run by the officer and up pops the bench warrant and the cuffs are slapped on your wrists.

Conclusion
The bottom line is that if you've ever had any dealings with the courts, including tickets that have been left unresolved, you could be at risk for having a warrant sworn out in your name. Sadly, there is also the issue of identity theft to be concerned about. Someone could have swiped your identity and used to commit crimes. This could also lead to an arrest warrant where you would be arrested for something you weren't even involved in.

Fortunately, there are plenty of resources available to determine if you have an Ohio arrest warrant issued in your name. You can hire a qualified attorney to conduct a search, request the court itself to search or find one of the many online resources to check out Ohio arrest warrants in your name. Just like doing a credit report check, it wouldn't hurt to do an arrest warrant check. Better to know now before its too late!