In the state of Alaska, an officer does not need a warrant to place a citizen under arrest if they are caught in the act of a crime. Some of the situations that merit an arrest without a warrant are:
- An officer witnessed the crime
- An officer finds probable cause that the person was involved in a crime
- A person is lawfully detained by a private citizen
In the event that an active warrant is issued against a citizen, the authorities have permission to execute the warrant in the way that it is described in the document.
An arrest warrant or a bench warrant gives authorities permission to arrest, detain, and transport the named subject to the jail that is designated for holding in the area that the arrest was made.
If you believe that you or somebody that you know has a warrant, we recommend that you do an Alaska warrant search to know for sure so that you can take action on your own terms.
Active Warrants in the State of Alaska
The state of Alaska has one of the highest violent crime rates in the United States. All of the law enforcement agencies in that state are serious about minimizing crime and making the areas safer.
If you have an active bench or arrest warrant in the state of Alaska You could be arrested at home, at work, or while driving—then incarcerated.
In addition to the inconvenience of an arrest, you could incur impound and storage expenses for the vehicle you were driving, interrupt your weekend or recreational plans and affect your family and childcare possibilities.
Regardless of the type of warrant that is issued against you, it will not be satisfied until it is either executed by law enforcement or is dismissed in court by a judge.
Types of Warrants in Alaska
It is a common misconception that there are only two types of warrants in the state of Alaska. Some people believe that there are only felony or misdemeanor warrants. In a sense, this is true. However, a warrant is an official document signed by a judge that specifies the arrest, or search of a person or group of people.
The difference between a felony and a misdemeanor is the severity of the crime. Where the terms ”felony” and ”misdemeanor” classify the severity of a crime, a warrant is an altogether separate entity.
The three types of warrants that the court system issues out are:
- Bench warrants
- Arrest warrants
- Search warrants
Although bench warrants and arrest warrants are similar, they much different from each other. Search warrants, on the other hand, are put into place in order to gather enough evidence to charge the named subject for a crime.
Warrant Records Search
Bench Warrants in Alaska
A bench warrant is when a judge writes and signs a warrant into action from the bench of the courthouse. When a judge issues a bench warrant it is because the person named on the warrant failed to comply with a court order.
Some of the most popular reasons for a judge to issue a bench warrant are:
- Defendant fails to show up for a court date
- Defendant fails to pay a fine on time
- Defendant fails to comply with the terms of a sentence
When a judge signs a bench warrant into action it is a result of an already open case against the defendant. Charges have already been filed and the court procedure is already in effect.
As soon as the warrant becomes active the police will have the authority to place the named individual under arrest and bring them into custody to face the judge.
The arrest can happen wherever the defendant is found and identified. The police can show up at the defendant’s home at any time and place the person under arrest.
In some cases, such as jail overcrowding and other critical issues, the police will write the defendant a summons to appear in court. However, if the warrant issued is for a failure to appear in court, the odds are that the authorities will arrest the suspect and bring them to jail until they can appear in court.
Arrest Warrants in Alaska
The difference between an arrest warrant and a bench warrant is that a warrant for the arrest of a person is signed into action as a result of a crime that has been committed. A bench warrant, as we shared above, is regarding a case that is already active.
A perfect example of the reason for an arrest warrant is if a person witnesses another person committing a crime such as larceny the witness can contact the police and report the crime to the authorities. If the witness can identify the person that committed the crime the police can have charges filed through the district attorney, or ask a judge to grant them an arrest warrant.
An arrest warrant can be issued because of:
- Officers witness the crime and the defendant escapes
- Investigators of the crime discover incriminating evidence that the subject was involved
- Eyewitness reports the crime and identifies the subject
- Video footage implicates the subject in a crime
Depending on the severity of the crime the officers that are involved with the case can aggressively seek out the defendant in order to bring them to justice as soon as possible, or they can merely wait for the defendant to slip up and get pulled over for a traffic ticket or something else.
Once an arrest warrant is signed into action the person named in the warrant will be wanted by the court system to face charges and be seen by a judge.
Search Warrants in Alaska
In order to protect the citizens of the United States from unreasonable, harassing, or illegal searches and seizures, the Fourth Amendment is in place. The only reason why an officer should be able to search a person’s personal property is if:
- The officer has permission to search
- There is an active, legal search warrant in place
- There is contraband in plain sight of the officer
Since officers do not have the authority to outright search the premises or person of an individual without substantial probable cause, they can go to a judge and present them with evidence that substantiates probable cause and will justify the action of a search warrant.
Search warrants can be signed into action for reasons such as:
- Suspected possession of stolen goods
- Suspected possession of items used to commit crimes
- Suspected possession of illegal substances
- Suspected possession of incriminating evidence
If officers are not careful about being completely legal in regards to the way that they do the search, all of the evidence that they discover in a search could be suppressed in court. When good, solid evidence is hidden from the view of the jury or the judge the strength of the case weakens and threatens to allow the defendants to walk free of the charges.
Why You Should Do Regular Warrant Searches
Although search warrants are difficult to find before they are executed, arrest and bench warrants are automatically deemed as public information unless specifically directed otherwise by a judge.
Protecting yourself from an unexpected arrest is wise because if you are unaware of your warrants and get pulled over for something simple, the police could arrest you and take you to jail until you deal with your legal issue.
If you do regular warrant searches on yourself, or the people that you care about you can have a heads up regarding potential trips to the county jail. Once you are aware of the warrant, you can have an opportunity to contact a lawyer that might be able to negotiate with the court system and allow you to face your charges without having to go to jail at all. Just being aware could save you a lot of unwanted drama in your life.
***Regardless of which state you live in it is always wise to contact an attorney for any questions that you may have when it comes to warrant laws or any other legal concerns. The content found on this website is only for informational purposes and is not to be mistaken for legal advice.