A warrant is a legal order that serves as a command to local police officials to carry out a certain task, be it search or seizure of a property or a person accused of a criminal act. These directives come from the judiciary but the request on which their issue is based comes from the local law enforcement body that needs to use them. For instance, New Jersey outstanding warrants are issued on the urging of the local police.
It should be clearly understood here that police officers are not granted an arrest warrant as a matter of right. While law enforcement does have the privilege to approach the court for the release of these orders, they have to prove that reasonable cause exists to suspect a person in a criminal act. In fact, the evidence they have collected should be enough to convince any layperson of the suspect’s culpability.
Different types of warrants
Active warrants: New Jersey arrest orders that have been issued freshly are known as active warrants. These directives call for the custodial detention of an accused and they can be served in any part of the issuing county, state or the country depending on the crime in question. The more heinous a criminal act, the greater will be the powers of the active warrant.
Outstanding warrants: This is just another term used to refer to arrest orders albeit those that have been kept in the system for a while because they could not be served. These directives are no less potent than a freshly issued active warrant. In fact, information on them is supplied to the FBI and through the central law enforcement agency to almost every police officer across the country.
Bench warrants: These orders are issued to address offenses that amount to contempt of court. So, failure to appear for a court hearing or sentencing, to pay a court ordered fine or disobeying a court order pertaining to community service can all lead to the issue of bench warrants.
Search warrants: As their name suggests, these orders are issued to allow police officers to enter a private property for the purpose of conducting a search for incriminating items or to detain an accused who has an arrest warrant in his name. In case of the latter, the search warrant is only required when the suspect is found to be hiding in third party premises.
Getting a New Jersey warrant search done
Finding information on arrest records and warrants can be done through the offices of judicial agencies as well as local law enforcement. Apart from this, the New Jersey State Police offers information on all criminal matters recorded in the state. However, NJ is a closed records state which means that not everybody is made privy to information on criminal history.
A simple way to look for details on arrests and outstanding warrants from NJ is to check the websites of some of the local sheriffs’ departments. Many of these sites have a most wanted list that features information on the more dangerous criminals in the area. A few of the agencies that offer this information online include:
- Somerset County: http://www.somcosheriff.org/most_wanted.htm
- Sussex County: http://www.sussexcountysheriff.com/wanted/
- Middlesex County: http://co.middlesex.nj.us/prosecutor/fugitive/Default.asp
- Essex County: www.essexsheriff.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=96&Itemid=60
- Atlantic County: http://acsheriff.org/main/mostwanted.asp
- Bergen County: http://www.bcpo.net/go.php?display_id=70
- DEA: http://www.justice.gov/dea/fugitives/nj/nj_div_list.shtml
- Division of Criminal Justice: http://www.dcjfugitives.org/
- NJ State Police: http://www.njsp.org/wanted/index.html
Data on arrest warrants offered in response to an inquiry put forth before the New Jersey State Police will be based on fingerprints. To avail this service, you will have to send fingerprint cards to the Division of State Police, Attn: Criminal Information Unit, P.O. Box 7068, West Trenton, NJ 08628. A name based inquiry is also offered for non-criminal organizations.