Active warrants from Maine are issued by tribunals that have trial or limited jurisdiction in criminal matters. Although the court can order arrests without enlisting the help of the police, this can only be done when the matter pertains to contempt of the judiciary or a no show in court. In these scenarios, the magistrate already has information on the criminal misdeed of the accused, so the police need not interfere in the issue process.
Yet, it is the sheriff’s department that is put in charge of serving these orders which are known as bench warrants. When it comes to active warrants from ME, the situation is different as the court has no cognizance of the crime, the criminal or the evidence. It is the police who investigate all criminal matters. Hence, only they can bring crucial information before the court and the state prosecution.
Why do the police file an affidavit to procure an active warrant from Maine?
The petition for an arrest warrant is always backed by a probable cause writ. This document serves the crucial purpose of bringing case facts before the bench. It is this information that gets used for the establishment of reasonable cause against the accused. When the evidence admitted in court is not significant enough, witness testimony too can be used along with it or in lieu of it.
The ascertainment of probable cause is done at several stages in a criminal trial, not just for the issue of active warrants. The prosecution can use circumstantial, hearsay, crime scene and forensic evidence to show the court that they have reasonable belief to support their request for the arrest warrant.
What happens after the issue of ME active warrants?
The police will try to make arrests as soon as they have the warrant in their hands. Despite this, the FBI has information on nearly 800,000 outstanding warrants, and this is at best a conservative figure since not all areas of all states report the active warrants issued within their jurisdiction. How soon an active warrant gets served will depend on the crime in connection with which it was issued.
It is of course a no brainer that an active warrant released in a homicide will be executed within hours of being released. As opposed to this, an order that is connected to the non-payment of traffic tickets will probably be in the system till the offender does not cross paths with a police officer at which time the pending detention order will be discovered and he will be taken into custody.
However, it should be noted here is that law enforcement agents get the carte blanche when endeavoring to serve active warrants. Police officers can enter a private property, even the home of the accused at any time of the day or night to effect his detention (night service will have to be endorsed on the warrant). Also, since active warrants stay in effect indefinitely, the sheriff’s deputies can make arrests whenever they want.
Where can you find information on active warrants from Maine?
There is certainly no dearth of ways in which you can find information on active warrants. However, the easiest is to simply look through the most wanted lists posted on the following websites.
- US Marshalls: usmarshals.gov/district/me/fugitives/index.html
- DEA: justice.gov/dea/fugitives/ne/ne_div_list.shtml
- Houlton Town: houltonpolice.com/missing-wanted.html
- Brewer City: brewermaine.gov/police/most-wanted/
- Veazie Town: veaziepd.net/?page_id=79
- Belfast City: cityofbelfast.org/index.aspx?NID=179