Louisiana Warrant Search – Outstanding & Active Warrants in LA

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.

The issue of arrest warrants in Louisiana

Except where a summons is issued pursuant to Article 209, an active warrant for arrest will be issued by the magistrate when:

• The individual who is filing a complaint against another person executes an affidavit which specifies information to the best of his knowledge and under oath. This petition must include a description of the crime, the date and place where the incident occurred and information about the alleged offender like his name and address. The application should also specify details about the victim.
• When the magistrate find probable cause based on this affidavit or has reason to believe that a crime has been commissioned by the said person, an active warrant can be issued against this individual.
• However, a justice of peace does not have the authority to order the arrest of a peace officer through the use of a warrant, when he is being accused of an act committed while fulfilling the responsibilities of his job. The same rule also holds true for administrators of day care centers, schools, universities, etc.
• If a complaint is made regarding a criminal act which occurred in another parish, the magistrate will notify the district attorney of the parish in which the offense was committed

When probable cause is established

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:

• Sign the warrant
• State the exact date and time of issuance on the document
• Indicate whether the oath that led to the release of the warrant was administered in writing or orally over the phone

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.

Looking for crime records in Louisiana

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/.