Wyoming Arrest Warrants

Wyoming is home to Yellowstone National Park, America's first national park. It's also home to many of the countries other firsts'; the first national forest, the first ranger station and it's the first state to have a public library system.

Wyoming law enforcement agents can not simply arrest anyone they want. Arrest warrants authorize an officer to legally detain a person who has violated the law. Warrants are only issued if there is a probable cause found in the case against the individual named on the warrant.

What type of arrest warrants can somebody Wyoming face?
Two types of arrest warrants can be issued in Wyoming. A bench warrant and a standard arrest warrant.

Bench Warrants
A bench warrant is issued when a person fails to appear for a scheduled court appearance. The person would is found in contempt of court and a warrant is issued for an officer to find this person and bring them before a judge. On occasion, a judge will forgo issuing a bench warrant if the infraction is minor (i.e. missing jury duty).

Arrest Warrants
An arrest warrant is issued when sufficient evidence is presented to a judge implicating someone of committing a crime. In this instance a judge would issue a warrant for that persons arrest and, depending on the severity of their crime a police officer may detain them immediately, or for less serious offences they will employ a more casual arrest method.

Issuance and execution of warrants in Wyoming
A warrant may be issued in any county in Wyoming, and any judge within the state can issue a warrant. There are two reasons for a warrant to be issued. A warrant can be issued as a result of a complaint from an individual relating to a person committing a crime, or after an indictment for a crime.

Full procedures relating to the issuance and execution of warrant, in addition to other rules and regulation relating to warrants can be found in the Wyoming Rules of Criminal Procedure.

Authority of officer to break open building in execution of warrant
In Wyoming police officers must always have an arrest warrant to arrest a person at home, if the arrest is for an offense which is not considered serious and arresting said person at a later date will not cause potential harm to the public.

If an arrest warrant is present, an officer may break open a door or window of someone's home if the person to be arrested is present, or is believed to be present, if the officer is not allowed in after he has announced his presence.

If somebody suspects they have an outstanding warrant in this state what should they do next?
In order to search for active arrest warrants in Wyoming, you can either physically go to your local police department (not the best choice if you need to check for yourself or a friend), or use one of the many online services available.

You may not be safe yet
It is always advisable to inquire into any warrants you may have. If someone has stolen your identity and committed a crime, you could be wanted for a crime you didn't commit.