New Jersey active warrants can lead to the immediate arrest of the person in whose name the order is issued. These directives come from the court with express instructions that they are to be served at once and in order to facilitate quick arrests, the court grants certain powers to the peace officers charged with the execution of these decrees.
For one, arrest warrants, particularly those that are issued in felonies, can be served in any part of the state and often in any corner of the country. Also, these detention directives are free from restrictions of time. This not only means that arrests can be conducted at any time but also that the orders stay valid indefinitely. Outstanding warrants from NJ go out of effect only when the person against whom the order is released is taken into custody.
How are active warrants issued in New Jersey?
In keeping with the Constitution of the United States and the laws of New Jersey, arrest warrants can only be issued when a formal complaint is filed with a judicial entity.Generally, the sheriff’s deputies will approach a municipal court magistrate or the judge of the superior court to procure the warrant.
The magistrate will consider evidence presented in a written form or the words of the witnesses in lieu of the writ. The probable cause rule dictates that a clear determination has to be made about the complicity of the accused in the criminal act before a warrant can be granted against him. If the proof and the testimonies are insufficient for this, the police petition will be declined.
The contents and form of a NJ arrest warrant
Orders for arrests are designed to aid police officer in detaining the suspect. In keeping with this principle, a range of information is offered through the legal document that will help police officers in tracing and identifying the accused. Everything from his full name to his gender, age, race and other discerning physical traits to his social security number and current address will be stated on the arrest warrant.
Apart from this, the directive will have a clear mention of the criminal matter in which the order was issued, the date and place in which the warrant was released and the signature of the magistrate who granted the decree. Conditions for release which are common place on warrants released in misdemeanors and any special arrests authorities granted to the police will also be mentioned on the order.
Getting a NJ warrant search done
There are innumerable options to look for information on New Jersey arrest records and active warrants; you could simply visit the local police precinct or walk over to the justice center or even approach a state entity like the NJ State Police or the Bureau of Identification. Also, some sheriffs’ offices maintain their very own websites and offer the facility to look for active warrants on these portals or at least provide a list of all outstanding warrants.
Some of the websites that you can visit for your warrant search include:
- Bergen County: http://www.bcsd.us/wanted.aspx
- Ocean County: http://www.ocean.nj.us/sheriff/warrants.htm
- Essex County: http://www.essexsheriff.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=96&Itemid=60
- Hudson County: http://www.hudsonsheriff.com/wanted.html
It is also possible to look for information on arrest orders in the court dockets database maintained by the state judiciary. However, it should be mentioned here that only information on cases that have ended in a guilty verdict for the defendant are available for public viewing. You will also be able to find out about warrants issued in civil matters through the judiciary. You can get the address of the local judicial entity at http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/#find.