LA County warrants are issued only when the police petition the magistrate’s court for such an arrest order. This is done in response to a finding of significant evidence against the person in question. The proof gathered in the matter has to be presented to the court in the form of an affidavit. This is reviewed by the sitting magistrate who deliberates on the adequacy of the information provided for the emergence of a clear probable cause.
In the Criminal Code of California, probable cause is defined as enough grounds for a reasonable person to believe that the offense in question was indeed committed by the person against whom the warrant is being sought. Before the issue of active warrants in LA County, the judge may very well call in the witnesses and the victim for a sworn testimony.
Once a warrant is released, it is sent to the sheriff’s department for execution. The deputies have 48 hours to make an arrest after which time, such arrest orders get stored in the crime database as outstanding warrants. Because local law enforcement and several divisions of the judiciary have a role to play in the process of warrant issue, it is possible to get information on these detention orders from multiple government sources.
Who can conduct an LA county warrant search?
Not everybody can access warrant records in LA County; in fact, applicants who not a part of a justice agency or a law enforcement division can only get information on warrants issued in cases that ended in a conviction.Also, pursuant to the California State Public Records Act only a certain category of employers and licensing authorities have access to this data.
The only exceptions to this rule are victims and perpetrators of a crime who can get information on the case that they were involved in from the LAPD or the California Department of Justice. Also, legal representatives of these parties can request such information provided they have a release from the victim or the accused.
Finding information on LA County arrest warrants
The local sheriff’s departments would undoubtedly be a reliable source of information on warrants issued in the area. In fact, the law enforcement agency also holds records on all arrests that have occurred in the area along with data on other legal instruments released in criminal matters like search warrants etc.
To get in touch with the sheriff’s office, go to 4700 Ramona Blvd, Monterey Park, CA 91754. It is also possible to contact the agency over the phone by calling on 323-267-4848. However, records pertaining to warrants are never disseminated over the phone as the applicant has to file a formal request for such information.
Remember that the sheriff’s department will only offer details on warrants issued in LA County and not the other geographical divisions of the state. For a more wide scale warrant search, you can approach the California Department of Justice and office of the Attorney General by writing to Record Review Unit, P.O. Box 903417, Sacramento, CA 94203-4170.
Judicial sources of information on arrest warrants issued in LA County
Because the local court of LA county that holds criminal jurisdiction issues all warrants in the area, you can also get information about these detention decrees from the judicial office. However, you will need information on the case to get records on warrants issued in the matter.
So, it would only make sense to approach the judiciary if you have the case number and details pertaining to the date and location where the legal infraction occurred. To approach the magistrate’s court, you can go to 4848 Civic Center Way, Los Angeles, CA 90022.
Alternatively, you can also get in touch with the office of the District Attorney of LA County for warrant related information. Call the agency on 213-974-3512 or write to them at [email protected].
For an online search, try the official website of LA County Superior Court at https://www.lacourt.org/ .A fee of about $5 is charged for the search and you can get information pertaining to the name of the defendant in a criminal matter along with the charges filed in the case.
What about bench warrants issued in LA County?
A bench warrant is vastly different from an arrest order issued in a felony case. Unlike the latter, where the police have to approach the court for the decree of detention, a bench warrant is released by the tribunal of its own accord.
Usually, a bench warrant is issued when an accused or a person involved in a legal matter in some way fails to show up in court or does not adhere to the court ruling. Also, these arrest orders are frequently issued in cases of traffic violations where the applicable fines remain unpaid. If the decree is issued in case of civic offense, it would be best to approach the division of the local court house that deals in matters pertaining to traffic infractions and civil matters.