An arrest warrant comes in various forms contrary to what most people in the United States believe. This is not a fact, though. Whether out in the open or behind closed doors, crimes happen on a daily basis. With that, police use warrants as a legal affidavit to search out suspected or known criminals and bring them in to face their court charges because they were not caught doing the illegal act itself. All crimes committed need a misdemeanor or felony warrant before an arrest can be made. Not holding anyone responsible for a crime committed is not a good enough reason just because no police officer was able to witness the crime with their own eyes.
Usually, a warrant is issued for the suspect and anything associated with the crime if enough evidence has been gathered by the police that prove they have committed a crime. When the location is discovered by the police, they will go and arrest the suspect right away and take them into custody. Most of the time, arrest happen when the suspect is pulled over for a violation of routine traffic, commits another crime, and has another run-in with the police wherein their names require scanning. Other times, the police will show up at your doorstep or place of work.
The type of arrest warrant that will be issued will depend on the crime you committed. From minor crimes to major crimes, there will be different arrest warrants issued for each crime. Usually, in the US, arrest warrants that are often issued include bench warrants, felony warrants, and alias warrants. You can read here for a quick guide on arrest warrants.
A magistrate or judge issues the arrest warrant to the police officials. With this piece of paper, the police have every right to search and detain a person they suspected to commit a crime. These warrants cannot be issued officially without any sworn statement from the police officer, victim of the crime, or a district attorney. You get an outstanding arrest warrant from issued warrant if the time taken to address the issue is quite long or the suspect has not yet been found. In short, it is an issued arrest warrant that is not completed or carried out.
For bench warrants, they differ from arrest warrants in the sense that they have varying severity and complexity levels of the associated crime. These warrants are issued by the judge for non-violent crimes like failure to pay child support, neglecting court orders, and similar violations.
Finally, felony warrants are associate with felony crimes that are punishable by more than a year or prison term. These warrants will never go out of existence until the suspect gets the charges and court proceedings happen. Only by getting the services of criminal defense lawyers can you get the best possible outcome for your warrant.