Complete a Free Cass County Warrant Search: See Who’s Wanted

Run a free Cass County warrant search in minutes using the convenient and efficient lookup methods linked and explained in this resource.

A citizen has the legal right to inspect warrant information through the Michigan Freedom of Information Act and the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Individuals can conduct warrant searches for different reasons; some people want to look up information about someone in their life, while others want to ensure they do not have any active warrants for their arrest. You can search for any reason you choose.

There are many things you should understand about warrants and the search process to assist you in effectively finding the information you are seeking. This resource guides you through everything you need to know to conduct a free warrant search in Cass County, Michigan.

This resource was written by Attorney Robert Bailey Jr, who holds a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law.

A Review of Free Cass County Warrant Searches

This section will provide you with the basic information you need in preparation for tracking down any warrants in Cass County. Once you understand how warrant information is made available and what you need to search, you will have a much easier time finding the data you seek.

You should first start with understanding what you can access and any limitations you may encounter. While the Michigan Freedom of Information Act grants broad rights for accessing public government records, some exceptions repeatedly arise when it comes to warrant information.¹

These exceptions to making warrant information publicly available tend to be based on the type you are searching. Several different kinds can be issued (details on these will be discussed later), and some (like search warrants) are more likely to be exempt than others. The reason is because the most often encountered exemption for warrant information is if its release will taint a law enforcement investigation.

Release of search warrant information before being fully executed (as opposed to one for arrest) is more likely to have a harmful impact on an ongoing law enforcement investigation.

You can submit formal requests by mail, email, or in person for available warrant information. You can also conduct informal searches in person or with online databases.

To conduct a search, make sure you know the full name of the person you want to search. You also need to figure out the county where the warrant was issued so you know which agency to conduct your search with.

If you cannot find what you are looking for, other information might help you out. Additional data that may be helpful includes more information about the person (e.g., address, physical description, age, etc.). Other helpful information includes the reason a warrant was issued and the date of issuance.

Warrant information may be maintained by various government agencies, depending on the county. In Cass County, the primary record custodian for warrant information is the 4th District Court and 43rd Circuit Court.^{2, 3}

In some counties, you may be able to access information at the municipal level (e.g., city, town, borough). In Cass County, there is no available warrant information with any municipal agencies.

Now that you understand what you need and where to look, it’s time to learn how you can access the appropriate resources and conduct a warrant search in Cass County.

How To Determine Who Has an Active Warrant in Cass County Michigan

Now that you are ready to look up warrant information, you can begin by conducting a Cass County Court Record Search with the County Circuit and District Courts.⁴

If you want to search a specific court, it’s important to know that each court handles different types of criminal cases. The district court is primarily responsible for misdemeanor cases (punishable by up to one year in jail), and the circuit court handles serious criminal cases known as “felonies.”

To conduct an online search, you can use this tool and select either court (43rd Circuit Court or 4th District Court). You will use this tool to access a person’s criminal case, and then you can search through their online criminal record to find warrant information.

To access a person’s criminal record, you can search by either the case number or their name. If you are conducting a name-based search you can add the person’s date of birth to further narrow down your results. In the filter options, make sure you select the criminal option for the case category.

You can further narrow your results by setting a date range for either when the action was filed or when an offense occurred. Once you get to the results page, you will see all matching criminal records. This will include the defendant’s name, charges, case number, status, location and filing date.

The status section will indicate if there are any warrants associated with the criminal case.

To view the complete criminal record for warrant information you can click on the case number. To find warrant information, scroll down to the section titled “Events & Orders of the Court.”

This section is where you will find all events associated with this criminal case, including warrant information. You can see when a warrant was recommended and issued and other related information.

To get additional information about the warrant, you will likely have to search in person or make a request with the court that issued it. You can contact the 4th District Court by phone at 269-445-4415.² You can also contact the 43rd Circuit Court by phone at 269-445-4412.

Both courts are located at the address below:

Law & Courts Building
60296 M-62
Cassopolis, Michigan 49031

For both courts, they are open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

If you are still looking for information, you may also want to consider contacting the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, as they are responsible for executing certain warrants.⁷ You can contact them by phone at 269-445-8644 or by going to the address below:

Cass County Sheriff’s Office
321 M-62
Cassopolis, Michigan 49031

How Do I See Warrants Throughout the State of Michigan?

In addition to looking up warrant information in Cass County, you can expand that search throughout the entire state. To access warrant information throughout the state, you can use the Michigan Court’s Case Search Tool.⁴

While this does not allow you to search the entire state at once, you can use this tool to search for warrant information in every court throughout the state of Michigan.

To conduct a search with this tool, you can follow the same steps provided for searching cases directly at the county level. This is the same tool that you used to find warrant information in Cass County by looking through an individual’s online criminal case record. As in Cass County, you will likely have to contact the specific court that issued the warrant to obtain additional information beyond what you are able to view online.

Types of Warrants, What They Mean & Their Significance

You may encounter warrants you never heard of when conducting a search. There are several types of warrants in Cass County, and each has its own purpose and triggering event.

Below is information on the types of warrants that are issued throughout Cass County:

Bench Warrant: This warrant is issued by a judge when a person is in violation of a court order. This is often seen when a defendant fails to show up for their hearing. Or a bench warrant may be issued for an individual’s probation or parole violation.

When a bench warrant is issued, law enforcement has the authority to bring the person into custody.

Arrest Warrant: This type of warrant comes at the request of law enforcement. If a person is suspected of committing a crime, law enforcement can present the judge with probable cause of the crime. If the warrant is issued, law enforcement can now arrest the person without needing any additional proof of a crime.

Fugitive Warrant: Issued for a person who committed a crime and fled the jurisdiction where the crime occurred.

Child Support Warrant:⁸ A warrant can be issued for a person’s arrest if they failed to pay child or medical support.

Traffic Warrant: Issued if a person has not resolved outstanding traffic violations.

Capias Pro Fine Warrant: Issued when a person fails to pay restitution on a judgment that was issued against them.

Search Warrant:⁹ Before someone is arrested, law enforcement may need to gather additional evidence. If law enforcement can present the judge with probable cause that there is evidence of a crime in a certain location they can be issued a search warrant. If issued, law enforcement is authorized to search for evidence of a specific crime in that location.

Note: If you come across the term “active warrant,” it simply means that it has not been fully executed or resolved. Any of the above can be considered active warrants.

How To Resolve a Warrant in Cass County

You may have conducted a warrant search out of curiosity. However, if you find that you or someone you know has an active warrant, you will have to decide what to do with this information.

If, during your search, you find out that you have an active warrant, you are going to want to resolve it as quickly as possible. Unless there are clear instructions on how to quash the warrant (e.g., reschedule a hearing, pay a fine, etc.), you should immediately seek counsel from a licensed criminal law attorney in Cass County. They will provide you with the necessary guidance to properly resolve the warrant.

Another thing you can do is contact a bail bondsman. They can help you prepare for posting bail after you are processed. Another important action you will want to take is to notify your immediate family, employer or anyone else that should know where you are.

If you find an active warrant for someone else, it’s usually perceived as a kind gesture to let them know in case they were unaware of it. Of course, if you do not know the person well but still want to inform them, you could have someone you both know to pass along the information.

If the active warrant is for a violent felony or other serious matter, you might want to consider passing along the person’s whereabouts to law enforcement. You can submit an anonymous tip to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office or contact them at 269-445-8644.^{10, 11} You can also talk to someone in person at the address below:

Cass County Sheriff’s Office
321 M-62
Cassopolis, Michigan 49031

You are now well prepared to engage in your first Cass County warrant search; use the resources provided in this article to guide you throughout this process, including the actions you take with the warrant information you find.