Outstanding warrants from Arizona are judicial orders that authorize custodial detention. Not different from active orders for arrests, these directives are simply old warrants that could not be served due to one or another reason. Just because a warrant is pending does not mean it has lost its powers. Far from it, outstanding warrants become all the more potent.
The clout of Arizona outstanding warrants!
Because information on these directives is sent out to multiple justice agencies, just about every police officer is alerted to the fact that the offender is on the run and has to be captured. Also, it should be considered here that the police have complete authority to use force if the accused is resisting arrest. Then, there is the part about outstanding warrants coming with perpetual validity which simply adds to the authority of police officers acting under such orders.
This means that an arrest directive of this nature is not going out of effect regardless of how long it has been since its issue. Peace officers can give chase to a person with a detention directive to his name even outside the county in which the warrant was released. What is more, they can also rally the support of other law enforcement personnel. In fact, this is one of the primary reasons why most wanted lists are frequently published by sheriffs’ departments.
Another point to remember is that arrests can take place at any time during the day or night under the provisions of a warrant. Furthermore, the police have the right to detain the accused in a public place after a chance encounter and even go to his house to arrest him if need be. Of course, privately owned properties are not off limits either; however, the sheriff’s deputies will need a search warrant to gain entry inside the premises.
Felony vs. misdemeanor warrants
Fortunately, not all detention decrees are created equal. In fact, the seemingly unlimited powers are reserved for warrants issued in connection with felonies. Those that are granted in misdemeanor cases will usually have the fine amount and the release conditions mentioned on them. This means that unlike felony warrants which have be sorted out through a bail hearing, misdemeanor related warrants can just be handled by paying the bond or fine in question.
Finding information on outstanding warrants in Arizona
There are a multitude of options when it comes to finding details on arrest records and active warrants in Arizona. There are no less than three state level agencies that furnish information on crime history including arrests and warrants to the general public. Of course, you could always visit the local sheriff’s office or that of the county clerk in search of such details.
The common denominator here is that although you will be charged a fee for such inquiries, you will have to take the trouble of visiting the office of the agency you want to approach in person. In other words, at least for civilian applicants there is no way to conduct an online inquiry on arrest warrants through state agencies. The simplest way to look for information on outstanding warrants it to check out the most wanted lists posted on some of local police department websites. Every other agency from the DEA to the US Marshalls and even the county sheriff’s office put up these lists on the internet. Here are a few web pages that you can check out for this information.
- DEA Most wanted: http://www.justice.gov/dea/fugitives/phx/phx_div_list.shtml
- US Marshalls: http://www.usmarshals.gov/district/az/
- Pima County: http://www.pimasheriff.org/prevention/most-wanted
- Yavapai County: http://www.ycsoaz.gov/
- City of Bullhead: http://www.mohavecourts.com/Apps/Warrant/warrant/warrant.aspx
However, remember that you are not actually conducting a search for these records, meaning that you may or may not find information about your subject in this list. Notice how most offenders in the group are accused of serious criminal infractions. For a traditional inquiry, you will have to send your request to the Department of Public Safety at 2102 W Encanto Boulevard, Phoenix, AZ 85009-2847.