Rhode Island Warrant Search

In keeping with Rhode Island General Laws 12-6-1, when a complaint of the commission of a crime is made to any justice of the peace or with the judge of any tribunal in the state’s judicial hierarchy, this officer of the judiciary will have to examine such statements under oath and affirmation and require that the complainant file the accusatory instrument in writing.

The issue of arrest warrants in Rhode Island

The process of issuing arrest warrants has been given in the Rhode Island General Laws 12-6-4. The section clearly states that upon the submissions of recognizance with surety or without it where required or when a complaint is filed under oath, the justice or magistrate will issue a warrant if in his/her opinion the complaint clearly shows probable cause to believe that a criminal act has been committed and that it was committed by the accused.

What do RI active warrants signify?

When active warrants are issued, these directives come with clear orders that peace officers serving these decrees are expected to

• Bring the arrestee before the court as soon as reasonably possible
• In case the court is not in session, the accused is to be brought before the bench at the next available session
• The accused should be afforded a bail hearing on the basis of his ability to pay the bond sum in 48 hours   
• If the court is out of session when the accused is taken into custody, a review hearing will be held based on the ability of the arrestee to pay by the time of the first court appearance

Serving arrests warrants and other legal processes issued in Rhode Island

The conditions for arrest under the provisions of a warrant are defined in Rhode Island General Laws 12-6-7.1. Pursuant to this section of the penal procedure, whenever the court issues bench warrants or active warrants for the detention of people who have failed to comply with a court order, pay a court-ordered fine or are involved in criminal infractions, these judicial orders can be directed to each or all sheriff’s deputy sheriff’s peace officers, state troopers, warrant squads and more.

Regardless of who serves the arrest order, under the provisions of the warrant, the law enforcement agent is required to bring the arrestee before the magistrate so that he can be dealt with according to law. When serving a warrant, officers are protected against assault and obstruction as with the execution of all other judicial directives including search warrants.

Individuals arrested in Rhode Island will be liable to make a payment of $125 above any monetary penalties ordered by the court. Of this amount, $25 will be divided among law enforcement agencies that are part of the warrant squad.

Suppose a person has been apprehended on the basis of a bench warrant, particularly in a scenario when this order was issued for failure to show up at a cost review hearing. In that case, the accused can secure release by paying the bail or court cost described in the warrant along with the $125 payment explained above.

In case of bench warrants and outstanding warrants for arrest, the detainee can be presented before a judge of the district court or any magistrate authorized to issue warrants for arrest so that he may be released on personal recognizance or bond if the municipal court is not in session at the time of arrest.

Getting information on arrest records and outstanding warrants from Rhode Island

One of the most credible sources of information on crime history in Rhode Island is the Adult Criminal Information Database which is maintained by the state judiciary. This repository is fed with the information collected by the office of the clerk of court, the sheriff’s departments and the court of the magistrate. The database contains court records for all criminal and civil matters the RI judiciary hears. However, court dockets for cases that went through the judicial system before 1988 are not included in this repository.

You can access this database through the website of the agency at here. Applicants are provided two options to initiate the warrant search. You can look for information by using the name of the defendant or the case number if it is available. For general information on the issue and execution of arrest warrants in the county, you can refer to the most wanted list posted at police precincts or on the law enforcement agency’s website.

When looking for arrest records, it would help to go through the website of the RI Department of Correction at here. You can get in touch with the judiciary as well as the DOC through the physical address of these agencies given below.

• The Department of Corrections: 40 Howard Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920
• The state judiciary: Frank J. Licht Judicial Complex, 250 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903