Riverside County Warrant Search

In Riverside County, people use a warrant search to find out if the court has ordered the arrest of an individual, either for criminal involvement or failure to obey a court order. A Riverside County warrant search is also used to know if law enforcement officers are legally authorized to search a location. To do this, Riverside County residents review official resources provided by criminal justice agencies like the courts and the county sheriff’s office.

In some jurisdictions, this can be done online or in-person at the relevant agency. However, note that warrant information is not public until the warrant has been executed. Only select legal practitioners, law enforcement officers, and court staff are privy to these records. Information returned during a warrant search includes the warrant subject’s name and date of birth, the name and signature of the issuing authority, the date the warrant was issued, and the court seal.

Why Conduct a Warrant Search in Riverside County?

A Riverside County warrant search can be useful in several legal and practical instances. It helps case parties and other interested individuals to find out if there are unresolved matters, such as pending criminal cases or procedural issues connected to a previous legal involvement. Warrant-related information may also be relevant during employment, housing, licensing, or background screening processes where court records are reviewed. Furthermore, people sometimes search to verify the accuracy of certain judicial records, as clerical errors, outdated information, or name similarities can lead to confusion.

Lawyers sometimes require warrant information for due diligence and as part of case preparation. In addition, researchers and investigators may review warrant information as due diligence or legal research involving Riverside County courts. Generally, a Riverside County warrant search provides insight into court-ordered actions and fosters a public understanding of how warrant-related records may impact legal standing or ongoing proceedings.

How to Perform a Riverside County Warrant Search Online

Riverside County court records, which include warrants, are available through the Public Access portal on the Superior Court’s website. To perform a search, a person is required to create an account on the website using their email, full name, and phone number. Users are allowed to look up case information for free, although downloading a document requires a $1.00 per page fee for the first 5 pages. Subsequent pages cost $0.50 each. The primary search criteria is the case number.

How to Check for Outstanding Warrants in Riverside County by Phone or In Person

Due to the sensitive nature of warrants and the underlying cause for which a warrant may have been issued, warrant information is usually not disclosable over the phone. In-person warrant searches may be conducted at the local courthouse where the warrant is believed to have been issued or the county sheriff’s office. However, wanted persons risk being arrested on sight if they visit a criminal justice agency. As such, it is advisable to hire an attorney to conduct the search on their behalf.

During an in-person warrant search, a person must possess the name of the individual named on the warrant or any known aliases. In addition, they may be required to present a valid ID. If a requester needs a copy of the warrant or other related document, copy fees are usually assessed. While some searches are concluded on the same day, others may include wait times of up to a few days.

Riverside County Sheriff’s Office Warrant Search Process

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office does not offer online record searches on their website. Interested parties should contact the sheriff’s office for inquiries at (951) 955-2400. Residents of Riverside County can also visit the county sheriff’s office to request warrants or related records. As with the courts, a record seeker must know the name of the individual named on the warrant to perform a search.

Note that the sheriff’s office typically does not release information about active warrants to third parties. Non-public warrants and related records are mostly available to the warrant’s subject, their attorney, and authorized individuals. As such, visitors are usually required to carry a means of identification.

Accessing Public Records Related to Warrants in Riverside County

Records related to active warrants are not entirely public. They only become public after execution due to potential risk factors, such as evasion by wanted individuals, privacy rights, public safety concerns, or risk of potentially compromising ongoing investigation. These records, which include warrant affidavits and applications, arrest logs, court orders, parole/probation violation reports, and warrant logs, are maintained by the court clerk’s office and the record unit of the involved law enforcement agency (e.g., the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office or the Riverside Police Department).

Interested persons should contact any of these agencies to confirm the public availability of the specific record they wish to request. These custodial agencies also facilitate public searches, usually at a fee. To search for documents, one must know the suspect’s full name or any identifying numbers assigned by the agency, e.g., case number, booking number, or docket number. Depending on an agency’s record retention policy, certain records are usually unavailable after a certain number of years.

Types of Warrants Issued in Riverside County

Riverside courts issue different types of warrants, each serving distinct functions and differing in consequences, scope, and manner of execution. Understanding the distinctions between the different types of warrants is fundamental to their handling and resolution approaches available to the individual involved. It also helps to know the specific type of warrant being searched for in order to perform a request or search. The most common types of warrants issued in this county are:

• Search warrants: Issued when there is probable cause that crime evidence can be found in a given location. It orders officers to search such a location for evidence and must be executed within 10 days from the date of issuance.
• Arrest warrants: Issued when there is probable cause linking a person to a crime that has been committed. It orders officers to arrest a suspect and bring them before the judge.
• Bench warrants: Issued from the bench when someone fails to obey a court order or appear in court, commanding officers to find and bring them before the court.
• Probation warrants: Issued when an individual is suspected of violating the terms of a probation.
• Alias warrant: Issued when a person fails to appear for jury duty or does not comply with a subpoena to appear as a witness in court

Apart from search warrants, other types of warrants discussed in this section basically call for the arrest of the individual named therein, although they differ based on the type of case (civil or criminal).

How Long Warrants Remain Active in Riverside County

In Riverside County, arrest and bench warrants have no expiry date. This means that they remain active indefinitely, pending when a suspect is arrested, the case is resolved, or the judge recalls or quashes the warrant. Furthermore, a warrant becomes invalid if the individual named on the warrant dies. Notwithstanding, the law demands that warrants be executed within a reasonable time.

Search warrants have a validity period of 10 days (Cal. Penal Code 1534), after which they become void. In any case, the validity period of a warrant also depends on several factors, including the type of warrant issued, the severity of the reason for which the warrant was issued, and judicial discretion. Additionally, case status, statutes of limitations, and agency record-keeping practices, affect the validity period of a warrant.

What To Do if You Find an Outstanding Warrant in Riverside County

Upon discovering that a warrant is out for their arrest, contacting a lawyer should be a person’s first action, as ignoring an outstanding warrant may lead to avoidable complications. In addition, turning oneself in without adequate legal guidance often carry legal implications and unfavorable outcomes, although such outcomes are usually better than ignoring a warrant until law enforcement show up to make an unexpected arrest.

A lawyer is required to help verify that the warrant actually exists, investigate the warrant, and explain the options available to the individual, based on the type of warrant. Furthermore, a lawyer can potentially negotiate a favorable resolution with the courts or law enforcement. In some cases, a lawyer may challenge the legality of a warrant in court and win, thereby, voiding the warrant.