How to lookup an active Hillsborough county warrant

An Hillsborough warrant is a legal document needed to detain individuals linked to a crime or offense lawfully. The Hillsborough county judge gives this file to relevant Florida law enforcement officers, usually the Hillsborough sheriff’s department, under the condition that sufficient evidence is provided to warrant an arrest. In other words, a Hillsborough county arrest warrant protects you from unlawful arrest by requiring police officers to have sufficient legal and logical backings regarding your case before detaining you. There are a few means of obtain warrant information since warrant records are public domain, some of these methods can obtain results anonymously.

Are Hillsborough county warrants public record?

Despite the bulk of our details being kept private, a significant portion of it is available online for individuals to assess, and one of these includes an individual’s arrest warrants.

Essentially, the Hillsborough County government permits public members to assess its records to see if the law wants specific individuals, and there are a few ways to perform this task.

●    Visit the Sheriff’s office in person

The best place to verify if a particular person has an unsettled warrant is in the Hillsborough County sheriff’s office situated at 2008 East 8th Avenue, in Tampa, FL. This place houses essential information about Hillsborough’s citizens and is a definitive source for research.

●    Search county resources online

If leaving your home to the Sheriff’s office merely to confirm your suspicion seems like a hassle, you can opt to check the public records online. It may seem invasive, but the Hillsborough County sheriff’s office has a website containing everyone’s general details and is used as a search tool for currently outstanding warrants.

To clear all doubts or suspicions you may have, visit the Hillsborough County website at hcso.tampa.fl.us and perform a name search on the individual. On the other hand, if you want a more broad option, you can use SearchQuarry.com as it’s ideal for finding outstanding warrants related to you, your family members, and other people.

*Note: You may be required to pay a small fee while using the Hillsborough County official website to search for outstanding warrants.

What is a Hillsborough County Bench Warrant?

People commonly confuse Bench warrants for arrest warrants, and this action is surprising as they both involve law enforcement officials detaining an individual. However, they are both issued on different occasions.

A Bench warrant is a legal document issued by the Hillsborough County Judge, requiring law enforcement officers to arrest an individual and bring them to court. This warrant is often given to individuals who failed to appear in court on the set date or refused to pay a fine.

One significant difference between a Bench warrant and an arrest warrant is that the individual to be detained has already committed a crime before being given a Bench warrant. However, an arrest warrant is issued to an individual linked to a crime – a suspect.

If you discover you or a loved one has a Bench warrant, the best option is to get a lawyer and turn yourself in as soon as possible. The attorney’s job is to help ensure you leave the court with the best result possible.

*Note: Avoid trying to evade a Bench warrant as this action puts you in more trouble.

Can I Expunge My Hillsborough County Warrant?

To expunge a warrant means to remove the detail from your public records, as having criminal records on your profile can create difficulties in getting a job or renting a home. In other words, most employers and landlords refuse to associate with people with any criminal record as they fear it may bring more trouble to their establishment.

For this reason, an expungement is recommended for living a more comfortable life, and fortunately, Hillsborough County offers this option.

However, for your records to be void of this offense or detail, you need to know some specific information. These include:

●    Type of criminal offense

The court may wipe away offenses like arrests and public misconduct, but they cannot expunge serious convictions like a felony. Additionally, if your arrest involves spending some time in jail, an expungement cannot happen until the sentence is complete.

●    The Expungement Process

Unlike other legal actions, an expungement doesn’t require a lawyer to execute as the court has a form titled “Motion of Expungement” that you can fill. When completed, the state allows you to request that the sentence and warrant be removed from your public records.

●    Your Records Can Still Be Found

If your warrant and previous arrest are hidden from public view, your past legal details can be dug out by a police officer if you’re involved in a crime in the future. In other words, the offense wasn’t deleted but merely covered.

While you assess your records or that of your loved ones, keep in mind that you cannot wait out a warrant as they rarely expire. The police will continue to search for the individual until they are brought to justice. Therefore, if you or anyone you know has an unsettled warrant, the best option is to contact an attorney and, if possible, visit the nearest police station.