San Francisco County California Arrest Warrant Criminal Records

The Basics About Warrant Records

Warrant Records in San Francisco County California are important public information. All warrants that have been issued in the county have to be filed with the clerk of courts. The person that is the subject of the warrant is informed by the clerk that he has been charged with a crime. He has thirty days within which to seek a hearing and appear at the court to tell his side of the story and provide proof if required.

There is much more to a warrant than just the fact that it says in black and white that the person is charged with a crime. They will also give information as to where the person is being held, what the charges are, and when the warrant was issued. If the person fails to show up for his court date then his warrant will be renewed until he shows up. Warrant records can be considered public information. People can view and get copies of the records and use them for whatever purpose they like, whether that be to check up on someone or to investigate their case. There are certain restrictions however when obtaining these records.

Warrant records in San Francisco County are not available to the general public. They are also kept confidential and cannot be sold or rented. There are various reasons why a warrant may be issued. A warrant can be issued for suspicion of a crime, or for simply making false information on an application for some kind of legal documentation such as a social security card or other types of documentation that would be considered valid in general.

If a person wants to look up information about someone they have in their local area, the first place they should look is the local courthouse. These records are stored there and are accessible to any law enforcement officer that is working the streets. If a person is looking up someone who is in another state, then they should try the courts website or consult with the Department of Justice to see if they have a record on the person in question.

In San Francisco County the only way to have access to someone’s records is to hire a private investigator. Most of the time an investigator will charge you somewhere between fifty and one hundred dollars for one hour of searching. The whole process of checking up on a person has much more to do then gathering up paperwork. There is also a chance that a warrant could be out for their arrest even though they may not be presently under arrest. This could mean that the person committed a crime that they did not commit, but the police are still involved with finding the person and putting them behind bars.

One thing to keep in mind is that most warrant records are sealed off from the public. However, the California Supreme Court has given the authority to San Francisco police officers to make the seal private if they feel it is warranted. To be legal for someone to access these types of records one must show they have a legitimate reason. In San Francisco County this is usually done with a subpoena.