Be advised that in the state of Kentucky the police can legally arrest a person without the need for an arrest warrant. If a police officer witnesses a person commit a crime, or there is enough reasonable cause to allow the officer to ascertain that the person committed a crime, they can legally make an arrest.
In most cases, an arrest warrant will be signed into effect if there is evidence that a suspect committed a crime beyond the sight of an officer.
Arrest warrants can be issued as the result of:
- Criminal federal indictment
- Video surveillance identifies suspect
- An eye witness to a crime informs the police of the incident
In the event that an arrest warrant is signed into effect, law enforcement will actively seek out the defendant in order to bring them into custody and face charges.
If you believe that you or somebody that you know has a warrant, we recommend that you do a Kentucky warrant search to know for sure so that you can take action on your own terms.
Warrants in Kentucky
Although the state of Kentucky is one of the safer states in the United States, when it comes to the ratio between the number of people that live there compared to the number of violent crimes, there is still plenty of warrant activity.
A warrant is a signed document that initiates a court order to take action against an individual, or group of individuals, that are probably involved in criminal activity.
If an officer presents enough evidence of probable cause to initiate a judge to sign an arrest warrant or a search warrant into action the officer will have permission to take action against the defendant under the stipulations designated in the warrant.
Once a warrant is activated, the only way to satisfy it is to have it resolved by a judge. Either through the execution of an arrest, a search, or dismissal by a judge the warrant will remain intact until resolved.
Types of Warrants in Kentucky
There are a plethora of various types of warrants throughout the United States and the rest of the world, however, there are three basic types of warrants that carry weight in the state of Kentucky:
- Arrest warrants
- Bench warrants
- Search warrants
Each one of these types of warrants is an official document that demands action as soon as possible. Arrest warrants and bench warrants will initiate an action to bring an individual into custody to face the courts. Search warrants will initiate the action for law enforcement to search the personal property, or the person of, the named suspect in the warrant.
Warrant Records Search
Arrest Warrants in Kentucky
We mentioned above that an officer in the state of Kentucky does not need to have an arrest warrant to arrest an individual that is caught in the act of a crime. However, not all crimes are committed in the presence of witnesses or police officers.
Since a law enforcement officer does not have the authority to barge into the home of a suspected criminal and place them under arrest without a substantial amount of probable cause, they must obtain an arrest warrant first.
Situations that will merit an arrest warrant could be:
- Eyewitness statement that identifies defendant committing a crime
- Video surveillance footage that identifies the defendant committing a crime
- The defendant flees the scene of a crime but is identified later
- The vehicle belonging to the defendant is found at a crime scene
Once an arrest warrant is signed into effect the authorities will have permission to aggressively seek out the defendant and bring them into custody wherever they can find them.
Once the police have a valid, signed arrest warrant against an individual they are free to go to their place of residence, their place of business, their places of leisure, or wherever and arrest them on sight.
There is no defined amount of time that will nullify an arrest warrant. There is no statute of limitations that will render an active arrest warrant invalid, however, the crime that the person is being sought after for could have its own statutes of limitations that could render the crime itself invalid.
For example, if a person is accused of theft in Kentucky and they manage to avoid being arrested for over a period of 5 years the statute of limitations for theft could run out and the person will not be wanted for that crime anymore.
At this time there is no statute of limitations for felonies in Kentucky.
Bench Warrants in Kentucky
When a judge issues a bench warrant it is an official court order written out and signed by a judge from the judges’ bench. Most of the cases that merit a bench warrant to be issued are due to a person failing to meet the orders demanded by the court.
The most popular situations that involve the issuance of a bench warrant in Kentucky are:
- Failure to appear in court at a specified date and time
- Failure to pay an ordered amount of money within the specified time constraints
- Failure to comply with a court order
- Failure to follow through with a sentence to work detail or community service
Since a bench warrant is initiated by a judge, directly from the court, it carries a little more weight than other types of warrants. Depending on the severity of the situation the law enforcement officers may, or may not aggressively pursue the person named on the warrant.
Once a bench warrant is officially active, it will remain in effect until the issue is resolved. There are no time constraints or statutes of limitations regarding the amount of time that a bench warrant can be active.
Search Warrants in Kentucky
Although there are laws in place that are supposed to protect the citizens from unlawful or harassing searches and seizures conducted by overly zealous police officers, the matter of public safety always takes precedence over all. If a person is accused of crimes that could threaten the safety of the public, officers that conduct searches with or without an authorized search warrant could remain within legal limits regardless of the status of a warrant.
In any event, under normal circumstances, a judge must have probable cause in order to issue a search warrant.
The person of interest must be named in the warrant, and the areas that are to be searched must be listed on the warrant, otherwise, if the officers that conduct the search find incriminating evidence it could be suppressed from the case.
Some of the reasons that could merit a search warrant can be:
- Probable possession of stolen property
- Probable possession of property used to commit a crime
- Probable possession of illegal drugs
- Suspected possession of child pornography
In the event that a search warrant turns up evidence that the person named on the warrant committed a crime, the officers can arrest the person on probable cause.
For example, if an officer conducts a search within the legal confines of the search warrant and finds illegal drugs or weapons to be in the possession of the named defendant, the officer can place the defendant under arrest for the crime.
In any event, when an officer discovers evidence that implicates the person named on the warrant, the person will inevitably face charges in the courtroom and be held accountable for the accused crimes.
Why Conduct Warrant Searches
Conducting warrant searches on a regular basis will equip you with information that could keep you safe, or even keep you out of jail. On one side of the spectrum, you could learn about any warrants that are active regarding your neighbors or other people that could be putting you or your family in danger.
On the other side of the spectrum, you can be aware if there are any warrants out for your arrest and be able to deal with them without the humiliating experience of law enforcement arresting you. Either way, being aware of problems before they arise is a great way to keep yourself safe.
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.