Logo
  • Home
  • Ask
  • Teen Help Network
  • About
    • About Judge Tom
    • Books
    • FAQs
    • Press Room
  • Your Rights
    • Crime and Punishment
    • Student Rights at School
    • You and Your Body
    • You and the Internet
    • Juvenile Justice System
    • LGBT Youth Rights
    • More Categories
  • Blog
  • Get Help
    • Videos
    • A Teenager’s Guide to Juvenile Court
    • Books
    • Research & Resources
  • Newsletter Signup

 

Q&A

Know your rights! Youth justice and juvenile law answers.

Askthejudge.info features regular updates from the news, important decisions from the nation′s courts, and online discussions with Judge Tom. Find out everything you need to know about youth rights, juvenile law and juvenile justice. AsktheJudge – Empowering youth one question at a time.

Disclaimer: The information contained in this site is made available to the general public and is not intended to serve as legal advice.You should consult a trained legal professional in your area for questions you may have about the laws affecting juveniles or any legal interpretations.

Copyright, 2014
Logo
September 18, 2012
Judge Tom
Crime and Punishment
0

What is a warrant?

PreviousNext

There are two types of warrants that deal with the juvenile justice and criminal systems in the United States. The first is an arrest warrant and the second is a search warrant.

An arrest warrant is a court order issued by a judge or person with the statutory authority to issue a warrant for the arrest of an individual. There can be many reasons for the issuance of an arrest warrant. For example, if you miss a court hearing that you knew about, the court may issue an arrest warrant and have brought before it to deal with the case you’re involved with. Law enforcement agencies execute arrest warrants.

Photo by Kalleboo (Flickr)

A search warrant is also issued by a judge or magistrate – someone who, under the laws of your state, is granted the authority to issue these warrants. They must be based on what is called “probable cause.” That means the court must have a sufficient basis to grant the request for the search warrant. Usually, a law enforcement representative goes before the judge, is placed under oath, and states the reasons for requesting the warrant. If the judge finds the reasons and basis for it credible, the search warrant may be issued. They are usually limited in scope meaning a specific place must be named (your car, apartment, etc.) and what the object of the search is (drugs, weapons, documents, etc.).

Both types of warrants can be challenged in court. So, if you think they were issued or executed unlawfully, this is something to discuss with your attorney. He or she will know how to proceed in court and make appropriate arguments to the judge to keep the evidence found as a result of the search out of the case.

 

juvenile laws
Share this
Judge Tom

The Author Judge Tom

Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing) and 'Every Vote Matters: the Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court' (Free Spirit Publishing). In 2020, the American Bar Association published "Cyberbullying Law," the nation's first case-law book written for lawyers, judges and law students. When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom volunteers with the American Red Cross and can be found hiking, traveling and reading.

Find great resources in our

Teen Help Network


Leave A Comment Cancel reply