Outstanding warrants is a legal term used for pending arrest orders in the state of Indiana. Once a detention decree is issued in a criminal matter, it stays in effect till the perpetrator is taken into custody and brought before the tribunal. However, this may or may not happen within a few days or weeks. In scenarios when the warrant remains un-executed for a long time, the decree goes through a terminology change and is then known as an outstanding warrant.
Information on outstanding warrants from all the 92 counties in the state of Indiana is held in a central repository hosted by the Indiana State Police. In fact, this criminal history database contains information on nearly all types of judicial orders issued in a case; from search orders to summons and from bench warrants to arrest orders issued in felonies.
Types of warrants
Warrants for detention are issued in felonies as well as misdemeanors. While both types of legal provisions are meant to facilitate the arrest of the perpetrator, they differ in terms of the geographical area and the time of their validity. Unlike a detention decree issued in criminal matters which remains valid perpetually and can be executed in any part of the state or country, a directive which is released in a misdemeanor case only stays in effect for 180 days.
After this period, a fresh order has to be sought from the tribunal if the offender is to be brought to books. On the same lines, such warrants are restricted to the geographical bounds of the county they are issued in. Also, it is rare for a person to be deported back to the issuing county from another state under the provisions of such an order. Bench warrants are a third type of detention directives which are usually brought into use by civil courts and in matters where a person disregards a court order.
Because the task of collecting missed taxes and processing tax defaulters is also assigned to the law enforcement agencies in Indiana, a warrant may also be issued in such matters. The taxes in question may pertain to personal income liabilities, sales or corporate taxes. When an individual fails to pay heed to the notice sent by the Revenue Department which is issued after a lieu is filed with the office of the county clerk, a tax warrant is issued against this individual by the local tribunal.
Finding information on Indiana outstanding warrants
While it is possible to approach the local sheriff’s office for information on outstanding warrants, a more suitable option is offered by the Indiana State Patrol which accepts online and ‘through mail’ limited crime history information inquiries. These searches bring back results on arrests that occurred in cases which resulted in a conviction. In other words, you will not be given data on warrants that have yet to be used for arresting an offender.
To initiate a crime history check through the ISP, you can use their inkless search option at https://secure.in.gov/apps/isp/lch/?agree=0. The charges for the inquiry are a bit over $16 per search. To initiate a check by mailing in the subject information, you will have to send a duly filled form (http://www.in.gov/ai/appfiles/isp-lch/LCH_4-12_Approved_Form.pdf) to the ISP.
Is it mandatory to go through a state agency when seeking details on outstanding warrants?
No, you can use the services of a third party agency when searching for information on outstanding warrants and arrest records from Indiana. While the state police and these private vendors both provide information through an online interface, the advantage of enlisting the help of the latter is that you will be charged a onetime fee for any number of searches conducted in a specified period. In contrast, with the state police, you will have to incur a charge for every name based inquiry.