Arrest Warrant in Connecticut

[gyb]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Connecticut

2 yrs ago i was arrested on a shoplifting scam along with a friend.
Not being an american citizen, and being under stress, both mentally and financially, i listened to my best friend's advice (a prosecutor in detroit, MI) and left the country.
I wasn't convinced that was the right thing to do, but by the time i was able to collect myself and make it back, it was too late for the court date. Another arrest warrant was out for me.
I am flying to the USA from abroad. Does it matter where i will be flying into? Will i get arrested at the airport? I am only going back to turn myself in, and I know I would be arrested in CT, but that is where i would prefer to be stopped, rather than being held in Philly, NYC, or Boston where i have no family to rely upon.
Is there a way to know if my arrest warrant is also showing up at any other airport? I really prefer to be able to walk to the police station with my attorney.

[ashman165]

My question involves criminal law for the state of: Connecticut

2 yrs ago i was arrested on a shoplifting scam along with a friend.
Not being an american citizen, and being under stress, both mentally and financially, i listened to my best friend's advice (a prosecutor in detroit, MI) and left the country.
I wasn't convinced that was the right thing to do, but by the time i was able to collect myself and make it back, it was too late for the court date. Another arrest warrant was out for me.
I am flying to the USA from abroad. Does it matter where i will be flying into? Will i get arrested at the airport? I am only going back to turn myself in, and I know I would be arrested in CT, but that is where i would prefer to be stopped, rather than being held in Philly, NYC, or Boston where i have no family to rely upon.
Is there a way to know if my arrest warrant is also showing up at any other airport? I really prefer to be able to walk to the police station with my attorney.

What kind of charge was filed? You said it's a scam, which I'm guessing means that it's a felony they've charged?

If that's the case, then the radius of the warrant will depend a lot on how seriously the originating jurisdiction considers these types of cases. If it's important enough to them, then it could possibly be that they will extradite out of state for it.

Assuming it's a felony, yes, you could be arrested in another state for it and extradited back to stand trial.

If you're flying in from out of country, you'll probably go through customs at some point. Who knows what information they may or may not have.

[gyb]

First of all thanks for your reply.
Yes, i believe it's a felony, they attached a RICO to it due to the fact that there were 4 people involved, though we all acted for ourselves.
Is there a way, like a number to call, to ask if there is a warrant in that particular state?
How does that work?
Again, i am not trying to beat the rap here, I am so suicidal about this whole story and i simply WANT to be in front of a judge and get some closure, whatever the end result will be. But i would prefer not to be detained for an unknown time in another state before being transferred to CT.
Unfortunately i just dont seem to find any straight flights from europe to Bradley's Airport.
I will look for a flight to canada, then CT. But will the canadian custom stop me?

[ashman165]

First of all thanks for your reply.
Yes, i believe it's a felony, they attached a RICO to it due to the fact that there were 4 people involved, though we all acted for ourselves.
Is there a way, like a number to call, to ask if there is a warrant in that particular state?
How does that work?
Again, i am not trying to beat the rap here, I am so suicidal about this whole story and i simply WANT to be in front of a judge and get some closure, whatever the end result will be. But i would prefer not to be detained for an unknown time in another state before being transferred to CT.
Unfortunately i just dont seem to find any straight flights from europe to Bradley's Airport.
I will look for a flight to canada, then CT. But will the canadian custom stop me?

I'm glad you're not trying to beat the rap; however, you are entitled to try that in a court of law by pleading not guilty and making the government meets its burden.

I'm also glad you mentioned your lawyer - or at least a lawyer. If you don't have one yet, get one to help with your surrender. While getting an attorney to help negotiate it won't likely make them discharge the warrant, it does show the prosecution and the court that you're trying to live up to your legal obligations.

To answer your question though, yes, it's possible the warrant the could extend to Canada. International boarders are no guarantee against arrest. But, it's a lot less likely that a state warrant for a non-capital offense will be internationally posted. But I guess anything is possible so long as the originating jurisdiction considers it important enough to spend the money.

This is where your lawyer's counsel is invaluable because you can give him information it's not wise to give us - like your name.

You can always directly contact the court of record and ask about the warrant they've issue in your name and ask what its radius is.

The short overview for how warrants are done goes something like:

local - just what you'd expect. It's only extraditable in your state. Misdemeanor warrants usually fit this bill. Depending on your State's laws, warrants might not even be extraditable from one side of the States to the other as a matter of practice, if not law. So, it's like if I live in Seattle and have a failure to appear for reckless driving, and I'm pulled over in Spokane. (That's about 300 miles difference). Spokane can arrest me on the warrant *if* Seattle says they'll extradite me back to Seattle for it. If Seattle says it won't, then Spokane will let me go (assuming I haven't committed a crime they want to arrest me for).

state - this is when the warrant is entered into the system that the originating agency says it will definitely extradite you from anywhere in the state. Big misdemeanors, some gross misdemeanors and most felonies fit this bill.

regional - this is like if Washington says it will extradite for it within a specified region. Usually that's the surrounding states, or even maybe the states next to the immediately neighboring states. This is usually reserved for the bigger felonies - aggravated rape, arson, murder and so on.

national - the originating agency enters this into the system as extraditable anywhere in the nation.

international - your name is entered into a various system of databases (like interpol), and any cooperating nation to that system will hold you for extradition back to the US. These are expensive, so it has to be a particularly interesting crime to get on that list.

Then there are federal warrants. These are warrants issue as a result of federal charges being filed. All federal warrants are extraditable anywhere in the US and its territories. There's an entire division of the U.S. Marshals Service dedicated to serving federal warrants.

Since I don't know who issued you warrant, there's all the general information I can think of given the information I have on the case (which isn't a lot to go on!).

Here's a thought though. Your ultimate goal is to be in front of the judge. I know you want to do it on your own terms, in your own time, but every day you delay getting yourself turned in indicates your unwillingness to resolve the case . . . Ultimately, if this is eating at you so badly, getting picked up anywhere will probably relieve a lot of that stress as then you'll know at least that you're in the government's care and on your way to that judge. The downside of just getting arrested is that it doesn't look as good as "well, yeah, he ran . . . but he specifically put himself back in the jurisdiction of the court to answer the charges" instead of "we caught another one on the run".

Extraditions are only long and drawn out when someone fights it and makes all the parties have to file motions and what not. Waiving extradition should you get arrested elsewhere will dramatical speed up being taken back to the original jurisdiction.

This isn't anything to be suicidal over. A lot of people make mistakes. You are working towards doing the right things. While none of us knows what your case is about, or what will happen, it appears that you're finally taking responsibility and being adult about. That right there is as good a reason as any to continue making steps in the right direction. We call this progress.

[BOR]

It's only extraditable in your state. Misdemeanor warrants usually fit this bill. Depending on your State's laws, warrants might not even be extraditable from one side of the States to the other as a matter of practice, if not law.

I personally have never read codified in any state's law that prohibit intrastate extradition. It is totally up to the "issuing" jurisdiction.

True, Counties are subdivisions of the state, assuming such a law were passed for state crimes, such a law though, if passed for violations of Municipal ordinances, intrastate extradition that is, would be challenged and struck down.

State statutory law does not always pre-empt municipal law.

[gyb]

Hello,

I am not sure either whether this is taken federally or not. Bottom line, you are right Ashman, i am only looking forward a resolution and some closure.

I do have an attorney and he is, supposedly, the best criminal attorney in Hartford, CT.

He told me to try to fly into CT so he, and the police, could meet me there.
I just cant find anything that direct and I really would hate to be held in either Detroit or Chicago or who knows where else. But am ready for that neverthless because i seriously cant deal mentally with this.

If i were to be arrested in another state, granted i would wave an extradition fight, how long could i be detained before CT comes and get me?
Is there a time limit?

I want to thank you again for your answer, it was very helpful and very clear.
Bor, thanks also for your input, i appreciate it.