When looking for information on outstanding warrants issued in Louisiana, it would help to take a look at the criminal procedure of the state and its stand on the issue of such judicial orders. Pursuant to the Louisiana Penal Code article 202 of title V, warrants for arrests can only be issued by a magistrate of a tribunal which has the authority to hear criminal cases.
However, bench warrants have also been provided as a tool for detention to civil tribunals and courts that handle bail hearings. These orders are issued when a litigant or a defendant fails to obey a court order, whether it commands the person to appear before the bench or expects compliance with another order.
Except where a summons is issued pursuant to Article 209, an active warrant for arrest will be issued by the magistrate when:
Search warrants and arrest orders can be issued solely on the basis of probable cause, whether this is ascertained through the use of the affidavit filed in court or through witness deposition under oath. As soon as it is clear that there is ground for a reasonable person to suspect the involvement of the accused in the crime being described in the affidavit, the judge will:
This order is then transmitted to the agency that placed the request for it. Generally, the office of the sheriff files a petition for a warrant. Upon release, the police rush to serve the directive. However, in cases where this cannot be immediately accomplished the order turns into an outstanding warrant over a period of time. Information on these orders can be found by scouring through the list of the county’s most wanted or by approaching the local law enforcement agency.
At the time of writing this article, the dissemination of crime history data was restricted to law enforcement agencies, licensing state authorities and employers who could be slotted in a certain statutory class. As a civilian looking for a warrant search or arrest records, you will have to get in touch with a private entity that deals in crime data.
If you work in a nonprofit organization or represent an establishment that provides care to the vulnerable members of the society like children, disabled people and seniors, you can get a warrant search done through the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification.
For this, you will have to download the request form given at http://lsp.org/pdf/crAuthorizationForm.pdf. This is a general disclosure form and it is the most appropriate for conducting a background check for employment purposes. You can also get your own crime records through this agency. In both cases, you will have to mail in your request to the Louisiana State Police at:Bureau of Criminal Information & Identification7919 Independence Blvd,Baton Rouge, LA 70806.
You can also approach the local clerk of courts office for information on civil court records or even to browse through their database of court dockets. A similar criminal background inquiry can also be conducted through the sheriff’s office. For arrest records pertaining to cases that have already been disposed, you can go to http://www.doc.louisiana.gov/.