The state of Utah has a simple way to check if there is a warrant out for your arrest. You simply go to this website. It was created by the state and is completely safe to use. Just enter your name, click search or press enter, and the website will immediately check to see if there are any matches.
If a warrant has been issued, there are a number of factors that determine what happens next. Here is a breakdown of what you can expect, and why you might want the involvement of an attorney.
An arrest warrant is a document that a judge in a criminal court issues. It gives police the authority to arrest you.
Under Utah law, there are two conditions that have to be met in order for an arrest warrant to be issued. The judge has to find that there is probable cause — a legal standard meaning there is evidence to suggest that you have committed the crime. The warrant must also be needed to prevent “risk of injury,” ensure that you make a court appearance, or protect the safety of the public or yourself.
The way that the arrest can be administered depends on the type of crime that you are accused of. If it’s a felony arrest, you can expect police to track you down at any time of day. For misdemeanors, police are limited to the nighttime hours, between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.
However, Utah law has a few exceptions to the nighttime rule:
For example, let’s say there is an arrest warrant for a misdemeanor crime that you are accused of. You are driving your car to work in the morning, and you get pulled over. When the officer checks your driver’s license, they find out about the warrant. That officer was investigating the unrelated offense (speeding) and now has the full authority to make the arrest.
If there is a warrant out for your arrest, fleeing to another jurisdiction will not keep you from being arrested. This is true whether you go somewhere else in Utah or to another state.
For example, let’s say an arrest warrant was issued out of Salt Lake County. So you go to Box Elder County. The police there can still arrest you. If it’s necessary for you to be transported back, it will be Salt Lake County’s responsibility to arrange it. However, that’s not always the case.
If you decide to go to a completely different state like Colorado, the police there can still arrest you and then extradite you back to the Beehive State.
You basically have two options if an arrest warrant has been made in your name: you can either be proactive or you can just wait for the police to come arrest you.
We don’t recommend the latter option. It can lead to a world of trouble, especially if you are accused of a felony. Police can arrest you at any time, meaning they can come to your work and arrest you in front of your colleagues.
It can also lead to higher costs and harsher punishments in the long run. That kind of reaction does not look good to the courts. So even if you plan on making a plea deal, you won’t have as much leverage as you would have had if you were proactive.
If you find out that you have an arrest warrant, the best thing you can do is call a lawyer and discuss your case.
One big thing that a lawyer can do is file a motion to quash the warrant. This means that the court sets the warrant aside so that you don’t have to worry about being arrested for now. In the meantime, your attorney can also help you set up a hearing in the court where the warrant was issued, where you can resolve your case.
You’ll want to hire an attorney who has experience dealing with warrants. Some great lawyers who can help with that are Mark Moffat, James Bradshaw, Ann Taliaferro, Michael Holje, Kristin Wilson, Michael Meszaros and Staci Visser. All of them have been practicing the law for years, and they would love to use their expertise to help you out.
To get started, tell us about your case, and one of our lawyers will reach out to you.
