A Civil Capias Warrant (also known as a “Mittimuse” or “Body Attachment”) is a civil order issued by a judge in civil court case for a missed court appearance or for financial matters - payments owed by the defendant to the legal system (fines, parking tickets) or following a civil settlement (child support, in some states). Although the Latin term “Capias” is translated as “for the taking of”, this type of warrantis a writ of arrest, and it is not commonly related to either search of premises or seizure of property.
Unlike Criminal Warrants, the purpose of the Civil Capias Warrant is to get someone who failed to appear for a civil hearing or someone who owes money following a civil court judgment before the court for a hearing.
Not paying the court-mandated child support on time, in accordance with the dates and amounts listed in the court order leads to legal problems - having a Civil Capias Warrant issued in connection to this could be one of them. The reason is simple: disobeying a court mandate is considered “contempt of court”, which entitles the custodial parent to file a case against the parent who missed child support payments.
To be valid, a Civil Capias Warrant must cover at least the following details:
Arrest warrants are produced when someone has been found guilty and charged with a crime. In general, especially for serious offenses, law enforcement officers conduct the arrest as soon as possible. A Civil Capias Warrant, on the other hand, is only issued for those who failed to follow the instructions given by a court of law (namely people who are in “contempt of court”). Regarding the enforcement times, in most states, Civil Capias Warrants cannot be pursued on weekends or at night. Civil Capias Warrants do not always end up with an arrest. For instance,the local law enforcement officer could call the accused to ask if they’re willing to go to court voluntarily, without being arrested. If this evading subject sticks to their promise, once they get before the court, they could explain their absence. If they give a legitimate reason for not appearing at the hearing they missed, they could have it rescheduled and clear the contempt accusation.
The best solution is to address the issue stated by the warrant – to pay the child support or the fine or to go to court and ask them to reschedule the hearing you failed to attend. The court always gives offenders a reasonable occasion to be heard. If the judge agrees that there were enough reasons that stopped the defendant from attending a hearing, for instance, they will be given a second chance to attend the hearing. If the accused cannot build such a case, they’ll have to accept the legal consequences.
Depending on the jurisdiction, if a Civil Capias Warrant was delivered against a judgment debtor who did not show up for a judgment debtor examination and there was an active Civil Capias Warrant against him for more than five years, the Civil Capias Warrant could be recalled upon order of the administrative judge.
If you suspect there was a Civil Capias Warrant issued against you or someone you know, you can always conduct a safe, quick and anonymous online warrant search on our website, without putting yourself at risk in case there is an open warrant on your name. Our lookup tool will run an in-depth public record search through millions of records and deliver the information you need when you need it. Never leave Civil Capias Warrant unchecked because they could bring complications (or worse, could lead to jail) as soon as you’re pulled over for a routine traffic check or when you try to renew your passport or driving license.