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Mississippi Warrant Search

A Mississippi warrant search lets the public search for any warrants to their name or that of another person. Under the Mississippi Public Records Act of 1983, warrants are public unless the court seals the record for legal or confidential reasons. This mainly applies when the warrant involves a minor. Interested parties may perform a warrant search in-person through the record custodian’s office or online, which is the most convenient method. 

 

How Long Does a Warrant Stay Active in Mississippi?

Depending on the type, warrants remain active in Mississippi unless the judge quashes or recalls them. A warrant also becomes inactive if its subject dies before getting arrested or apprehended. 

Usually, search warrants remain active for 10 days in Mississippi and must be carried out within that time frame. If not, a judge must issue a new warrant to perform a search. 

Warrants of arrest for misdemeanors remain active for 180 days, with a maximum time of one year.  Felonies are active for longer, especially if it’s still within the statute of limitations. 

There is no expiry for bench warrants, but they become automatically invalid after five years if the police fail to find the person named on the warrant. 

Per the law, any warrants issued without an affidavit or probable cause are considered invalid. Also, warrants should specify what needs to be done to search a person or their property. Arresting or executing officers also need to follow the scope indicated in the warrant. Otherwise, going beyond what was stated in the warrant might violate the person’s constitutional rights, making the warrant invalid. 

Any evidence collected outside of the specified scope or illegally obtained cannot be used as evidence in a court of law. 

 

What Are the Most Common Warrants in the Mississippi?

There are many types of warrants in Mississippi, but below are the most common ones the public can find in a Mississippi warrant search. 

Search warrants

A search warrant is one of the most common results the public can find in a Mississippi warrant search. With a search warrant, law enforcers are authorized to search a person or a property as part of evidence. 

Upon issuance, law enforcement officers must carry out a search warrant within ten days, or it will expire. Unlike other warrants, search warrants in Mississippi should specify the time and the name of the officer who will perform the search. Otherwise, the court may not consider the evidence as valid. 

In the case of expired search warrants, the court may just re-issue another if a reasonable cause is established to search a property or a person. 

 

Arrest warrants

Arrest warrants are another type of warrant that commonly turns up at a Mississipi warrant search. A judge can issue an arrest warrant for criminal cases involving misdemeanors and felonies and also for civil cases. 

Note that arrest warrants for felonies can be served at anytime. On the other hand, law enforcers can only make an arrest for misdemeanors between 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. A defendant can file for a motion to dismiss a warrant if it was served outside of the given restrictions.

There are special cases when a police officer can arrest someone even without a warrant under the following conditions:

  • When a person commits a misdemeanor or felony in public
  • When a person violates parole
  • When an officer has probable cause that a person has committed violence or violated a protection order.
  • When the person is known to be an escaped felon

When necessary, police officers can break into a property or use lawful force to make an arrest. 

In some cases, a judge can issue an arrest warrant due to unmet obligations for child support. Since paying child support is a court order, failing to pay can result to a punishment of two years in jail and the necessary collection measures. 

 

Bench warrant

A bench warrant is issued to an offender who fails to pay their court dues or fees or attend their scheduled court hearing.  If a person on bail is issued a bench warrant in Mississippi, the bail will be forfeited upon arrest. Once a bench warrant is served, the police can arrest the person named on the warrant. 

However, a person can avoid a bench warrant if they will personally appear in court or have someone appear on their behalf, like an attorney. 

Both arrest and bench warrants require jail time as temporary custody. There is no set amount of time how long a person can stay in jail before they can be brought before a judge. However, the longer the custody time, the greater the likelihood of the case being dismissed due to lost evidence or a lack of quick trial. As the law dictates, anyone arrested must be brought immediately before a judge to stand trial. 

 

No-Knock Warrant

Another special type of warrant is the no-knock warrant. This type of warrant allows law enforcers to enter a person’s property without announcing their presence, hence the “no-knock” name. However, this type of warrant only applies when police officers are in hot pursuit of a fleeing suspect.

 

How To Perform Warrant Search in the Mississippi?

Since most warrants do not expire, the public can perform a Mississippi warrant search to check if they have an outstanding warrant to their name. 

One of the ways to perform a warrant search is by visiting or calling the local sheriff’s office to check for active warrants. The only downside is that the sheriff or the local police officer can make an arrest if the person inquiring has a warrant to their name.  

Another method is to check for warrants online. Some counties in Mississippi have their own database of active warrants, which the public can access, including the following:

The Mississippi Department of Public Safety also lists the most wanted people across the state with outstanding warrants. The Mississippi court also allows the public to perform an electronic case search to search for warrants. 

Third-party sites may also provide the same information by giving personal information like a full name, date of birth, alleged offense, issuing judge, and the time and place where and where the warrant was issued. All or any of this information may help narrow down a Mississippi warrant search through a third-party website. However, the available information may vary, especially since they are private and not government-funded.

 

Counties in Mississippi

List of Content

  1. How Long Does a Warrant Stay Active in Mississippi?
    1. What Are the Most Common Warrants in the Mississippi?
      1. How To Perform Warrant Search in the Mississippi?