Do Old Warrants Expire

[pamike]

In 2003 I got into an accident and did not have insurance. The officer at the scene did not realize it until a day later. I was sent a citation in regular mail, not certified or anything to prove I got it. About a year later I recieved a letter from a constable telling me that I had a warrant and asking me to pay the fine. I never paid it and I live 2 counties away. Nobody ever came after me and I have been arrested twice and pulled over at least 3 times since and the officers never mentioned the warrant. Do these warrants ever expire? I was just wondering if I should call the magistrate that issued to warrant of just forget about the whole thing?

mike

[cdwjava]

Warrants do not expire. They remain until served or recalled ... and they are not recalled for no reason.

Take care of it or keep looking over your shoulder.

- Carl

[mn_laws]

Um in recent news "dog the bount hunter" was arrested on a almost 3 year old warrent. And he sadi that the warrent was going to expire in 26 days <or so> So how does his warrent expire if they never expire as u said?

[cdwjava]

Um in recent news "dog the bount hunter" was arrested on a almost 3 year old warrent. And he sadi that the warrent was going to expire in 26 days <or so> So how does his warrent expire if they never expire as u said?

Um ... Dog was incorrect?

He may have been operating on a presumption that the jurisidction holding the warrant was not going to "renew" it in NCIC or whatever state system it was held in, or, as is more common, he confused the SOL for the time the state has to make the arrest based on a warrant.

NOTE: The warrant was issued out of MEXICO, and Dog faces extradition to that country. Dog and friends failed to show at a court hearing in Puerto Vallarta in July 2003 and fled. Mexico demanded their arrest, a US Warrant was signed by a federal judge in Honololu on Wed. (9/20) and he was arrested on Thursday.


- Carl

[mn_laws]

ok i understand the last paragraph. But your saying that this bounty hunter doesnt know about warrents expiring? Consdiering that it his job to know these kinds of things. Carl what is your profession? Do u know what your talking about. Because im assuming that this bounty hunter prolly knows what hes talking about.

[cdwjava]

ok i understand the last paragraph. But your saying that this bounty hunter doesnt know about warrents expiring? Consdiering that it his job to know these kinds of things. Carl what is your profession? Do u know what your talking about. Because im assuming that this bounty hunter prolly knows what hes talking about.

I'm a police supervisor ... I'm also an NCIC and CLETS instructor (i.e. I'm the guy that does the training on the entry of these warrants).

I didn't read anything about Dog mentioning a warrant was about to expire. The incident was three years old, happened in Mexico, and he fled that jurisdiction and failed to return. Maybe Mexican warrants have a three year limitation on them, but ours don't. They might not be renewed in NCIC or they might be recalled, but they don't just disappear. The US warrant was signed just days before Dog's arrest in HI by a federal judge, so the US warrant was less than three DAYS old.

EDIT: After doing further checking from the NY Times, it appears that the MEXICAN warrant was "less than one month" from expiring when he was arrested. MEXICAN warrant procedures are not the same as ours. Plus, as I understand it they also have a process by which they can renew warrants.



- Carl

[mn_laws]

Ok thank you once again Carl. I now fully <as far as i know> understand what you mean.