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-   -   Flying domestically with felony warrant?? (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/practical-travel-safety-security-issues/1132061-flying-domestically-felony-warrant.html)

justplainme Sep 30, 2010 8:21 pm

Flying domestically with felony warrant??
 
Hello all,
I know this is a strange question but I told my friend I'd ask anyways.... I have a friend who has a felony warrant out for his arrest for theft (nothing violent) and he needs to fly back to his home state for his grandmothers funeral. I travel a good bit so he asked me if he thought it would be ok for him to fly from state to state and not be arrested. I told him I had no idea but I would research it for him and see if I could find out. I know that you aren't required to give your SSN when you book an airline ticket but I'm not sure if they cross reference your name and birthdate some other way. Any advice anyone could give on this would be appreciated. This is probably the strangest question I've ever had to ask. I know it wouldn't be a good idea for him to travel internationally at all because of customs but I've never really thought about domestic travel at all.
Thanks in advance!!

Good Guy Sep 30, 2010 8:29 pm

If he knows he has warrants, he should take care of them.

cordelli Sep 30, 2010 8:32 pm

Welcome to Flyertalk.

Unless they have some reason to run his ID (he's noticed in the SPOT checks as behaving like he has a warrant, his name is close to somebody on the watch list, etc) he will probably be fine getting through security.

I would be more concerned going to a family member's funeral in my home state, that just sounds like an easy place to catch him, sort of like he's expected to be there. He seriously needs legal advice here.

RichardKenner Sep 30, 2010 8:52 pm

I agree. Travelling internationally, you are almost certain to be picked up for an outstanding felony warrant coming back into the US. For domestic travel, something else would need to happen for it to be noticed. But I also agree that if the warrant is in the home state, somebody might be waiting for him at the funeral. I second the advice of getting an attorney involved.

justplainme Sep 30, 2010 9:20 pm

I knew he wouldn't be able to travel outside of the US because of having to come back thru customs but I wasn't sure about domestically inside the US so thanks for all of the input. I have no idea what kind of security checks they do nowadays at airports. I know you can go online and check and see if your name is on the "no fly" list but that list is only for suspected terrorists and has nothing to do with warrants. I knew I'd never heard (or saw) anyone being arrested at an airport over something like this but then again I've never really thought about it before.

I told him the same thing about the warrant. He wasn't too overly concerned about being "turned in" in his home state, evidently the warrant is 10+ years old and hardly anyone even in his home state knows about it. I didn't pry for details, I could tell it was really hard for him to ask me for the help that he did and I figure it isn't my place to judge anyways.

FriendlySkies Sep 30, 2010 9:31 pm


Originally Posted by justplainme (Post 14864330)
I knew he wouldn't be able to travel outside of the US because of having to come back thru customs but I wasn't sure about domestically inside the US so thanks for all of the input. I have no idea what kind of security checks they do nowadays at airports. I know you can go online and check and see if your name is on the "no fly" list but that list is only for suspected terrorists and has nothing to do with warrants. I knew I'd never heard (or saw) anyone being arrested at an airport over something like this but then again I've never really thought about it before.

I told him the same thing about the warrant. He wasn't too overly concerned about being "turned in" in his home state, evidently the warrant is 10+ years old and hardly anyone even in his home state knows about it. I didn't pry for details, I could tell it was really hard for him to ask me for the help that he did and I figure it isn't my place to judge anyways.

Actually, we can't check if our name is on the No Fly list, as it is SSI information :rolleyes:

I'd tell your friend to be wary of his surroundings, especially at the funeral. You never know what may happen to him when he returns.

coachrowsey Sep 30, 2010 9:52 pm


Originally Posted by Good Guy (Post 14864104)
If he knows he has warrants, he should take care of them.

^^ right on.

SDF_Traveler Sep 30, 2010 10:20 pm


Originally Posted by Good Guy (Post 14864104)
If he knows he has warrants, he should take care of them.

I agree here, but I would highly suggest he retain the services of an attorney in the course of addressing it.

A warrant, especially a felony, will catch up with him sooner or later, likely when he least expects it. It may not have been "violent" per the OP, but most non-violent felonies I'm aware of have a degree of moral turpitude involved.

With respect to travel within the states, warrant checks are not conducted by the TSA. TSA does match your name, DOB, and gender, against the No Fly List and Selectee List.

It is always possible a Behavioral Detection Officer (BDO) could refer him to law enforcement, where a warrant check would be routine.

If he has a run-in with a police officer out of state, it is likely the Felony Warrant will appear with any warrant check.

From what I understand, it would be up to the other state to extradite him, collect him, and return him to the state/county where he is wanted.

I suggest, at the very minimum, your friend addresses his travel concerns with an attorney before he leaves.

N1120A Sep 30, 2010 10:29 pm

A 10 year old warrant? What in the world? Has be been tried and convicted in abstentia or something?

justplainme Oct 1, 2010 7:21 am

okay guys, thanks for all the input but now I have even more questions (sorry but I'm a naturally inquisitive person and some of your answers intrigue me lol)

First of all in regards to SDF_Traveler's response. I know what the No Fly List is but I've honestly never heard of the "Selectee List" could you explain what this is?? It may have nothing to do with my original question but you have my curiosity spiked now :)

Also what is a BDO and what would make him want to refer David to law enforcement? Do you mean if David (by the way, that is my friend's name...) were acting strangely or something. Sorry for all the questions I'm just trying to understand.

I already told him that he really, really needed to take care of this, if not now, when he returned back after the funeral. He explained to me a little more about what went wrong. Evidently 11 years ago he stole a case of baby formula for his 2 month old baby son (which was evidently valued at more than $250, which in his home state constitutes a felony) he and his wife were out of work so it was either that or lose his son (or his son go into foster care) he had already tried to get help from the state but they were dragging their feet, meanwhile he had a hungry baby so he got caught and arrested, sat in jail for a few weeks, was released, put on probation, made to pay thousands of dollars in fines which he couldn't pay (because he was still out of work) and his probation officer threatened him every month when he went to his appointment that he would go back to jail if he didn't have his fines caught up by the next month so he finally just didn't show up for his appointments so a warrant was issued. He finally found a job out of state, moved and is now a lot more stable, 10 years have went by, he hasn't so much as had a speeding ticket, I've known him for about 6 years and I never would have guessed something like this about him. I actually feel bad for him. Did he commit a crime? Yes. But would I have done the same thing if I didn't have any family who would have helped out? Maybe. His grandmother was the only family he had and she has been in a nursing home until she died for over 15 years.

drewguy Oct 1, 2010 7:41 am


Originally Posted by N1120A (Post 14864702)
A 10 year old warrant? What in the world? Has be been tried and convicted in abstentia or something?

Or hasn't the statute of limitations run on the crime?

MisterNice Oct 1, 2010 8:02 am


Originally Posted by drewguy (Post 14866715)
Or hasn't the statute of limitations run on the crime?

No lawyer here but doesnt an arrest warrant trump any statute of limitations.

MisterNice

Good Guy Oct 1, 2010 8:12 am


Originally Posted by SDF_Traveler (Post 14864648)
I agree here, but I would highly suggest he retain the services of an attorney in the course of addressing it.

A warrant, especially a felony, will catch up with him sooner or later, likely when he least expects it.

Agree. At least with an attorney he can take care of it on his terms. The other option includes handcuffs and a really uncomfortable car ride.

Deeg Oct 1, 2010 8:14 am


Originally Posted by MisterNice (Post 14866849)
No lawyer here but doesnt an arrest warrant trump any statute of limitations.

That's my (non-lawyer's) understanding. As long as the law enforcement agency makes half an effort to look for him every once in a while to avoid Speedy Trial issues.

TravellinHusker Oct 1, 2010 8:19 am

Nope. Statute of Limitations is only from the time a crime is committed to the time it is indicted. If the cops can't figure out what happened, who, where, when, etc within the allotted time, the statute of limitations kicks in. As long as there is a warrant, it means there was an indictment or probable cause enough to issue a warrant so statue of limitations does not apply.


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