If you discover that an officer has a warrant out for your arrest, you may wonder what happens next. Can the officer come to your home or place of work to detain you?
In some states, an arrest warrant gives officers the right to arrest the subject only when said subject is in the act of committing another offense. That is not the case in Florida. Florida.StateRecords.org explains the ins and outs of arrest warrants in the Sunshine State.
How an arrest warrant works
An arrest warrant is a document that gives the carrier the authority to arrest and detain the subject of the warrant for a specific reason. To obtain a warrant, an officer must demonstrate probable cause through substantial evidence. If the courts grant the warrant, the officer then has the right to arrest the person named on the warrant at any time on any day. What this means for you is that the bearing sheriff can come to your home, place of work or any other location at which you may be and arrest you.
For a warrant to be valid, the arresting officer must sign it. So, too, must the judge who issues it.
When an arrest warrant is unnecessary
There are plenty of situations in which arrest warrants are not necessary for the detention of someone. For example, an officer may arrest you if you commit an offense in the officer’s presence, if another officer holds a warrant for your arrest, if the officer has cause to believe you committed a felony or if an officer has probable cause to believe you are guilty of child abuse or domestic violence.
Having a warrant out for your arrest can be nerve-wracking. If you are the subject of an arrest warrant, it would be in your best interests to seek help right away.
