Four Types of Primary Warrants in California

Posted on: May 12th, 2024 by Dod Law

Warrants in California

There are limitations in place designed to prevent California police officers from willfully violating your civil rights. These limitations often require officers to secure a warrant before searching your property, arresting you, or taking you to court. Learn more about Warrants in California.

Dod Law’s criminal defense attorneys can break down the role these warrants play in the state’s criminal cases. You can rely on our knowledge to help you better understand how you may have to comply with any action the state takes against you, and our team is here to protect you if you find yourself with a warrant. 

4 Main Types of Warrants in California

There are many types of warrants to keep track of, but some of the most common ones include:

Search Warrants

Police officers do not have blanket permission to breach your home, car, or personal property. Search warrants serve as legal orders that give officers permission to enter your home or car without your explicit permission. 

These warrants may also give officers access to other property, including any businesses you own or land you possess. Even then, search warrants are not always indiscriminate. The nature of a search warrant may allow officers to search for a specific item, but officers must engage with your property within the letter of their warrants. Failure to abide by a search warrant can invalidate evidence officers find in their investigation.

Moreover, a warrant must outline the probable cause entitling officers to invade your property. A warrant without probable cause does not entitle officers to breach your estates. Likewise, a warrant that a neutral judge has not signed is not valid and does not allow officers to engage with your property.

Arrest Warrants

An arrest warrant, unlike a search warrant, allows officers to seize your person as opposed to your property. California’s arrest warrants must outline the probable cause on which officers may arrest you or someone you love. Most judges require officers to draft an affidavit and provide them with factual evidence of misconduct before moving an arrest warrant forward. 

Arrest warrants often detail a specific time at which point they may arrest a party suspected of criminal misconduct. Most of the time, arrest warrants require police officers to act within daylight hours unless officers can prove that they should conduct an arrest at night. 

Ramey Warrants

Ramey warrants are similar to arrest warrants, but Ramey warrants allow officers to avoid invoking a District Attorney. While officers must still have a judge sign off on a Ramey warrant, the warrant never goes before the District Attorney. This means that if you’re served a Ramey warrant, you’ve yet to be officially charged for a crime.

Why would officers issue you a Ramey warrant? Oftentimes, officers can secure a Ramey warrant faster than they would an arrest warrant. Ramey warrants allow officers to detain you for up to two business days while a District Attorney reviews your case. Officers can also use Ramey warrants and your subsequent imprisonment to coerce a confession out of you.

Bench Warrants

Officers in California can serve you a bench warrant if you are found in violation of a previously-established criminal probation. Bench warrants allow officers to pursue you to enforce required community service, fines, or classes. Bench warrants also allow attending judges to set a bail amount against you. Your subsequent re-arrest will require you to pay that bail or even face a no-bail hold until the conclusion of your case.

Learn about Warrants in California – Call Dod Law For Legal Support Today

Has the state allowed officers to take out a warrant against you? You can contact Attorney Dod with Dod Law to better understand what rights a warrant gives California police officers. Our team can then step in and provide you with a comprehensive defense that can challenge any charges that officers attempt to bring against you.

Contact us at our San Diego office (619) 814-5110 | Orange County office 949-681-7020  | Vista office 760-814-6025 | or schedule an appointment by filling out our online contact form to book a free defense evaluation today.