Arrest Warrants in Georgia

When a crime is committed in Georgia, a judge may issue an arrest warrant. This is an official document authorizing law enforcement to take an individual into custody.

In order to obtain an arrest warrant, there needs to be probable cause that a person has committed a crime, accompanied by a sworn statement from a law enforcement officer, attorney, or victim. Often, evidence or witness statements are also presented to the judge to speed up the process of obtaining a warrant.

A Warrant Has Been Issued; What Happens Next?

Once a judge has issued an arrest warrant, a law enforcement agent can serve it anywhere under his or her jurisdiction. This includes at the perpetrator’s home, at work, or in public (if pulled over in a vehicle stop, for example).

The warrant may also place restrictions on the manner of the arrest, citing that an individual can only be arrested during a “reasonable period of time,” generally defined as 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. A bail amount may be specified in the warrant. This would indicate the monetary amount that would be required for release after the arrest has been made.

Outstanding Arrest Warrants

Issuing an arrest warrant does not mean that an individual will be taken into custody right away. In fact, there are hundreds of thousands of outstanding arrest warrants across the United States. An individual may not know about the warrant, may be evading the law, or the law enforcement agency responsible simply has yet to serve it.

Since these warrants do not expire, an individual can have a warrant out for his or her arrest for however long it takes to be served.

If there’s a warrant out for your arrest, an attorney may be able to help negotiate the charges brought against you. To learn more, call Wadkins & Wallace at (706) 221-9451 or contact us online to schedule a free review of your case.