Michigan warrants are court directives which are handed over to the police in order to bring a defendant before the tribunal, so that trial proceedings can be initiated against him in the criminal matter that he is being accused of. An outstanding warrant is simply a judicial directive of this nature which is a few days or weeks old and hence has been stored in the police database for execution in the future.
The criminal procedure against an individual in a state starts at the point of detention which may be effected under the authority granted to law enforcement officials by a judicial warrant or even in cases where the arrest is made without a warrant. However, this article deals with the various processes that come after the formal detention of a person.
The recording of all information pertaining to criminal history and the dissemination of this data is left in the able hands of Michigan State Police. The law enforcement agency maintains a Crime and Justice Information Services (CJIS) division which is in charge of collecting case related information along with arrest records, conviction details and incarceration data from various justice agencies from across the state.
Article VI of the Michigan Constitution which was laid down in 1963 introduced the One Court justice system in the state. Pursuant to this statute, the entire judicial system including the Supreme Court and the numerous appellate, trial and limited jurisdiction tribunals function as one integrated unit. While each performs its distinctive role in the judicial network as prescribed by the legislature of the state, they function as a single legal machinery that upholds the constitution and the laws of the state of Michigan.
The definition of active warrants in the state is given by the Michigan Compiled Law 764.ld as a judicial detention order directed at police officers from across the nation. These arrest decrees are issued at the behest of the local law enforcement agency and they clearly state that the person in whose name the warrant has been issued should be committed to police custody till such time that he can be brought before the judiciary.