Law enforcement officers can drop by unannounced at your doorstep, place you under arrest and order a search of your property.
You'd be in your Fourth Amendment-given rights if you demand an explanation for, and question the legality of their request or actions.
But if they can show you a signed warrant to whatever effect they seek to execute, you'd be faced with more superior order and argument.
You can only give in to their demands and allow them to carry out their duty or task, as specified in the warrant.
So if you don't want the police to come knocking on your doors in the middle of a family dinner, you must be made aware of any outstanding warrants issued against you.
This is so that you can take the necessary actions to forestall the unwelcome visit of law enforcement to your property, or place of work.
This article aims to show you how to search for warrants in the state of Georgia.
What Are Warrants In Georgia?
A Georgia warrant is a document signed by a judge or magistrate which gives law enforcement officers the legal endorsement to carry out certain actions in the state.
These actions could, at another time, be labeled a constitutional right violation.
But if the police can present a warrant while looking to make an arrest or a search, they'd be able to get around any of the legal issues without necessarily infringing on the rights of anyone.
This is because they have to swear an affidavit that requires them to protect the fourth amendment rights of their subjects.
They do this after having convinced a judge or magistrate that there is probable cause (of a crime) to necessitate the issuance of the warrant. Anyone looking to find warrants in Georgia can explore the following suggestions.
Courthouses
The courts in Georgia—from the superior courts to the municipal and lower courts, are the first point of contact for the warrants, one where they're signed by judges and magistrates to make them legally binding.
Many of these courts keep copies of the warrants on print and electronic-based databases for reference purposes.
You can approach the court and request access to these databases by seeking the help of the court clerk—the official record custodian.
Once you can figure out the court responsible for issuing the warrant, seek out the clerk and ask for access to case records or other documents bearing your name.
If the database is available online, you can find the warrants in the comfort of your home.
You should find any available warrants issued against you by running a search at their online database against your name or docket number.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation
The Georgia bureau of investigation operates under the coverage of Georgia's clutch of local law enforcement agencies.
Through its official website, it provides a direct route that interested persons can ply to find warrants issued against themselves mostly.
This is achieved by providing a search portal designed to perform personal criminal background checks through the provision of fingerprints.
The other option is by entering your name, birth date, and personal ID details into designated search fields.
A successful search will produce the criminal history of the subject and can include warrants as part of the arrest information.
If the warrants are outstanding, you can take the necessary legal action required to challenge them.
Law Enforcement Agencies
This includes the FBI, DEA, Police Department, Sheriff's Office, and any other government agency responsible for maintaining the public order and security of the citizens of Georgia and America at large.
What they all have in common is the provision of channels that the general public can explore to find information about wanted persons.
At the state and county level, the sheriff's office and the police run websites that often feature offender rosters and search tools.
Some of them display warrants for offenders on the run or even those in custody.
You can check for warrants at these websites by using the name, birth date, gender, and/or DOC number of the subject.
The Georgia Felon Search
The Georgia Technology Authority(GTA), through the Georgia Crime Information Center, operates a paid criminal history search platform that provides people with the opportunity to take up an online-based criminal (felony-related)background check at their database.
Requests for this service are processed at the cost of $15, with the system requiring that you provide your names, gender, and birth date as the search parameters.
You should find any warrants in your name after performing this online Felon search.
Third-Party Platforms
Third-party websites bank on the bulk of public records in their possession to provide criminal background checks and public record search requests.
They mostly do this through the provision of search portals where people can provide their names and the place where the record is available.
Using this template, you can find warrants on this website when you perform a criminal background check.