Initiate a Free Cass County Warrant Search (Wanted Lookup)

Conduct a free Cass County warrant search today to reveal whether you, someone you know, or a community member is wanted.

The Indiana Access to Public Records Act allows citizens to inspect and copy warrant information. This article details the level of access you have through this state law and streamlines the steps for viewing and retrieving this information.

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

How To Run a Free Cass County Warrant Search (A Synopsis)

Before you begin your search for warrant information, here is a brief synopsis to help you better understand the process. The information in this section will help you better understand the warrant search process, how you can conduct one and the data necessary to find what you are looking for.

As a starting point, it’s important to understand that while the Access to Public Records Act provides the opportunity to view warrant information, there are certain restrictions.¹ While there are several exceptions to this law, the most likely one for warrant information is data that is part of an ongoing law enforcement investigation.

There is more than one kind of warrant in Cass County (details on all the types and what they do will be discussed in a later section), and depending on the one you are searching, this exception may be more or less likely to be triggered. Such is the case with active search warrants as making it public before being fully executed may allow a criminal to taint an ongoing law enforcement investigation.

For warrants that are publicly available, you can access them through online search tools, formal requests (sent via email or mail) or other informal searches (in-person or by phone).

While there may be several different conduits to accessing this information, the type of data you need to conduct a search is fairly consistent. You will want to have the correct spelling of the person’s full name, their address and the county where the warrant was issued.

If you do not have the above information, you may have to provide additional information. This may include any information you know about the warrant, such as the charges tied to it or the date of issuance. You can also provide additional information about the person, such as their date of birth and physical description (e.g., height, weight, eye color, etc.).

With this information in hand you can conduct your search with the record custodian for warrants. In Cass County, the primary custodian of warrant information is the Circuit Court and Superior Court.³

Certain cities operate municipal courts that handle minor criminal cases, traffic and ordinance violations. Those municipal courts will often issue their own warrants when necessary. In Cass County, warrants are not issued at the city or town level.

Now that you have a better understanding of the warrant search process, move on to the next section to learn the specific steps to access these records in Cass County, Indiana.

How To Access Warrant Information in Cass County Indiana

Now that you have a synopsis of warrant information, it’s time to perform a search. To conduct a warrant search in Cass County, you can start by using Indiana’s Unified Case Online Database.⁴ If you have the case number, you can enter that and go directly to the record.

If not, you can begin your search by selecting “Cass County” under the court drop-down menu. Next, you will want to select the option to limit your search to “criminal and citation” cases.

You can then enter the person’s name and birth date, if available. If you are unsure of the spelling, you can enable the “sounds-like” option.

A couple of additional options are to select the case status (open or closed) and set a filing date range. Once you run your search, the results will provide you with the case caption, number, type, and the court where the criminal case is or was being handled. You can also view the status of the case, the charges against the person and any attorneys involved.

To access the warrant information, click on the case caption. On this page, you will want to navigate to the “Chronological Case Summary” section. Here, you will see every event that happened in a case, including the issuance of any warrants.

After you conduct your online search, you may want to seek out additional warrant information. To do that, you will have to reach out directly to the court that issued the warrant. In Cass County, that means you need to contact either the Circuit or Superior Court.

You can contact the Cass County Circuit Court by phone at 574-753-7730 or by going in person to the address below:

Cass County Circuit Court
200 Court Park, Rm 211
Logansport, Indiana 46947

A citizen can contact the Cass County Superior Court by calling them at 754-753-7735 or by talking to someone at the address below:⁵

Cass County Superior Court
200 Ct. Park, Rm. 401
Logansport, Indiana 46947

How To Execute a Statewide Warrant Search in Indiana

You may have a need to expand your warrant search outside Cass County. Fortunately, you can use Indiana’s Unified Case Online Database to conduct a statewide search.

To use this tool, select “all Odyssey Courts” on the drop-down menu for location. After you make that selection, you can follow the same steps as you did for conducting an online warrant search in Cass County.

Once you find warrant information, you can obtain additional data by reaching out to the specific county court responsible for the warrant. In Indiana, this will be either their Superior or District Court.

Each Warrant Type & Their Meanings

While you now understand how to conduct a search, you may be unfamiliar with some of the warrants you found. There are several different warrants in Cass County, and they each contain unique information that you may want to view.

To better focus your search, you should learn about the different types of warrants you may find in Cass County. One of the easiest types to access is the arrest warrant.

This type of warrant allows law enforcement to take a person into custody without any additional evidence or justification. An arrest warrant is established when law enforcement provides sufficient evidence to the judge to establish probable cause.

A person can be issued a probation or parole violation warrant for their arrest. This is issued when a person violates the terms of their probation or parole that are required to keep them out of prison.

Another type of arrest warrant can be issued for failure to pay child support. A fugitive warrant may be issued for a person who has fled the jurisdiction where they committed a crime.

A search warrant has the same procedural requirements as one for arrest. That is, a prerequisite to obtaining the warrant is law enforcement’s ability to provide probable cause that there is evidence of a crime in a specific location. If issued, law enforcement is then allowed to search a generally private location for evidence of a specific crime.

A bench warrant differs from both of these in that it is issued directly by the judge without a request from law enforcement. Typically, it is issued to take a person into custody for failing to follow a court order. Often, this is seen when a defendant fails to show up for a hearing related to criminal charges against them.

If you are issued a Capias pro fine warrant it is because you had a judgment entered against you by the court and you have failed to pay the required restitution in a timely manner.

Any of these can be considered an active warrant as this means that it has not been fully executed.

How To Get a Warrant Dropped or Resolved in Cass County Indiana

Understanding how to access warrant information is only half the battle. After you conduct a search, you may come across information that you have to act upon. If you find an active warrant for yourself or someone you know, you will likely want to take action.

What to do if you have a warrant: As learned in the previous section, there is a wide range of warrants, and their severity may vary. If you have a bench warrant for missing a hearing or failing to pay a fine, you may be able to resolve the matter without having to turn yourself in.

To make sure you are taking the correct action, your best course is to immediately schedule a consultation with a licensed criminal attorney. Bring your active warrant and let them advise you on your next steps.

Also let close family, especially those that live with you, know about your current situation so they can plan accordingly. If your attorney indicates that bail is an option, you will want to take some preliminary measures to speed up that process. Reach out to a bail bondsman so that you can move quickly through this process after turning yourself in.

What to do if you find out someone else has a warrant: In this situation, there is no specific action you should always take. How you deal with this information largely depends on your relationship with the person and the seriousness of the warrant.

If the warrant is for something minor (e.g., a missed hearing or traffic violation), most people will just let the person know. There is a good chance the person does not even know about the warrant, and you could help them make sure they have the opportunity to take care of it before it becomes more serious. If you do not have a good relationship with the person, then just let a mutually known third person know who can pass along the information.

If the warrant is for a violent crime or other serious matter, then your relationship with the person is a moot point. You should notify law enforcement so that they can properly address the outstanding warrant with the person. In Cass County, you can notify the Sheriff’s Office.⁶

With the information provided in this article, you are now ready to embark on your first Cass County warrant search; make sure that you take responsible action with any warrant information you find out about yourself or someone you know.