Afraid A Loved One Might Be Arrested? Here’s How To Find Out

The law enforcement officers will never show up at a decent citizen’s home at an ungodly hour. If you suspect a loved one is involved in a crime, a gang or taking the law into his/her own hands you will have a reason for concern. The law never rests. Some crime investigations may take longer to crack due to the complications involved in assimilating appropriate evidence, but incarceration is imminent.

If you believe a loved one might be arrested, you need to understand if he is going to serve jail term or be a prison inmate. Prisons generally house people indicted of felonies or other serious crimes which may tantamount to a few month or years in prison. However, jail term is served by people charged with misdemeanor or with crimes awaiting trial. If the person has not been convicted, civil rights action will be filed in conformance with the 8^th amendment of the US constitution. It would be handy to know if the offence charged, would end up in your loved one serving federal or state prison term

You may have reasons to believe a loved one may be under the radar for arrest if you experience the following:

Someone from the police department or the investigation team has contacted you regarding a crime.
If your loved one has been alleged as a suspect in a reported crime. You may find a business card on your windshield or door from a law enforcement officer.
The investigating officer has all the supporting evidence her/she needs and knocks on your door with an arrest warrant.
However, if you know someone dealing with drugs or involved in any way with an ongoing gang, they may never be told. The investigating team may show up at the door without warning.
If someone is suspected of a crime against a person, they may get arrested and taken into custody as soon as possible.

If they are suspected of a property related crime, they may or may not be contacted before getting an arrest warrant issued. That’s because every case is different, and it is up to the investigating officer to decide if he or she is interested in hearing the other side of the story.

This is rare but real. If you suspect your loved one is being surveilled or wrongly framed, keep the following points in mind:

Nothing they say can help them at such times even if they are innocent. It’s best not to speak to them on a one-on-one. The law enforcement officers are trained to listen for cue words that connect to the criminals. Anything you speak can be misconstrued or misinterpreted. If there is anything you wish to speak, ask for a lawyer. Disclose the facts only in front of a lawyer.

Be prepared – Make sure your loved one has memorized his/her important contact numbers, because in the event of sudden arrest, the phones may be confiscated, and contact might become difficult. Put away all the important documents in a safe place.

Know your sources – If a loved one hasn’t come home for some time, and is not reachable, and if you suspect an arrest, you might want to check at Inmate101 – a prison locator service.

Free help is available – If you are not able to afford for an attorney and your loved one is charged with a criminal offense the state can provide one free of charge.

It’s your loved one you are talking about – Take no chances. Make time to meet more than one or two attorneys to determine who can represent your family and understand your case best.

What no to do – Never try to approach a police officer and inquire if he has an arrest warrant against your loved one. It could be risky.

Online research – You may go online and log into http://www.GovernmentRegistry.org to search for public records including arrest warrants.

Hire an attorney or private detective- There is no other way of finding out if a loved one is being investigated because publishing sensitive information could lead to compromising on the investigation. The ‘Freedom of Information Act’ or the open records request can help you with getting law enforcement information records and issued warrants, but the information is limited. Attorneys, they are expensive. But they have access to databases that are not available to the general public.

Go to the court – You may also contact the court directly to see if a federal warrant is issued against a loved one or not. It is time-saving and more reliable and accurate.

Occasionally an innocent person could become a suspect merely by falling in a particular category or relationship. It is not uncommon for innocent people can get framed falsely to serve a prison sentence. At such times the law enforcement officer will have to disclose the reason for the suspicion and investigation. If a loved one is not a gang member or associated with any criminal acts, you need not fear. There is no smoke without fire. So, stay calm.