What is a Felony Warrant?

What is a Felony Warrant?

A felony warrant is a type of arrest warrant, an official document issued by a judge or a magistrate on behalf of the state, authorizing the apprehension and arrest of an individual suspected of committing a felony crime.

A felony crime is generally accepted to include more severe crimes. This may include excessive violence such as rape and murder. This may also include non-violent crimes such as robbery and auto-theft. White-collar crimes, crimes that usually involve lying under an oath and overall obstruction of justice, are also deemed as felony crimes. The distinction between a misdemeanour and a felony crime depends on the laws of jurisdiction where the crime was committed.

Unlike acts of misdemeanour, the punishment sentence of felony crimes usually last longer than a year in prison.

What are the specifications of a felony warrant?

In order to protect citizens from being wrongly arrested, a felony warrant must satisfy certain specifications.

1. A felony warrant must have the name of the suspected criminal.
2. In cases a name cannot be provided, a clear, definite description of the suspected criminal must be able to allow law enforcement to identify the person in particular without having to arrest people of similar features.
3. A felony warrant must have a detailed description of the crime committed by the suspected criminal.
4. A felony warrant must have the signature of the issuing judge or magistrate.

Unlike other forms of warrants, a felony warrant does not follow a set expiration date. This means a felony warrant remains in effect regardless of duration of time until an arrest has been made.

What can a person do if a felony warrant is issued to him or her?

The most efficient way of dealing with such matters is to consult a professional criminal lawyer. Consulting a professional criminal lawyer will allow the accused to analyse the situation best and decide on the next step. Most attorneys would opt for self-surrender since turning oneself in good faith displays full cooperation. In most cases, this display of full cooperation would resolve the issue faster and smoothen the procedures following the issuance of the warrant.