Wisconsin Arrest Warrants

Warrant Confusion
Warrants allow the police to lawfully obtain a specific commodity. This can be in either the case of a search warrant or an arrest warrant, which are often confused. A search warrant allows a police officer the right to search a specifically outlined location for a specifically outlined commodity. Upon finding the commodity the officer has legal right of seizure.

This is in comparison to an arrest warrant, where a police officer has the right to lawfully arrest an individual for specific reasoning. Both warrants are issued through judges and are only given to the police, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A warrant will only be issued through profound evidence. Those with outstanding arrest warrants can either be arrested in the state of Wisconsin or have the warrant extradited to another state for an arrest. Penalties for this kind of warrant vary with the crime and can include several kinds of criminal acts.

Procedure
Under Wisconsin and federal law police officers are required to first knock and announce the warrant of arrest. If there is no answer, and knowing the individual is inside the vicinity, the police officer may then use force to enter. Many have contested this law for destroying of property, though no charge has been made.

If a police officer has reason to believe that knocking and announcing will lead to the destruction of evidence or harm to him or herself, the officer may then automatically enter the vicinity. The only portions of a building that can legally be destroyed for entering include windows and doors.

Bench Warrant
A type of arrest warrant in Wisconsin, as well as other states, is the bench warrant. A bench warrant is issued when an individual does not appear in court upon a summons. The presiding judge may choose to issue this kind of warrant and have the national, state, or local authorities obtain the individual. Instead of being directly taken to a law enforcement agency, the individual will automatically be taken to the court of the issuing judge. Depending on the circumstances and the interest of the individual to the court, penalties could be severe.

Searching
Upon arresting an individual under an arrest warrant, the police will list the Supreme Court's Miranda Rights. Officers also have the right to search the individual as well as the immediate area for protective purposes, evidence, and escape. Commodities that are in connection with a case may be seized legally.

Outstanding Warrants
Each state, include Wisconsin, has many outstanding arrest warrants. Some states can have millions of warrants at one time. Individuals pegged as "most wanted" for specific crimes have arrest warrants issued in their names. Some individuals may not know of a warrant for their arrest before action is taken.

In some circumstances, such as identity theft reasons, an individual will be arrested a distant time period after the crime. The Internet has several databases and search engines that allow citizens to search for outstanding warrants. Each state has its own section, with some broken into counties and cities.