What Is a Peace Warrant Definition?
Peace warrants allow action to be taken by law enforcement against a person you believe intends to harm you. Some states, such as Ohio, have had laws pertaining to these warrants on the books since 1987.
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Complaint
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If you fear harm from another individual, you can make a written, legal complaint under oath for action to be taken to defuse a situation that could lead to violence.
Order
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A court officer (judge or city mayor) can use your complaint to issue a peace warrant for the arrest of the accused.
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State Law
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Ohio is one state that allows peace warrants to be issued when a complainant feels his life or safety--or that of his children or property--is threatened.
Hearing
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An accused person in Ohio is entitled to a hearing to respond to the charges. If the hearing is delayed, the hearing officer can order that the defendant be kept in jail until resumption of proceedings.
Resolution
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The end result of a peace warrant filing is that the accused can be found to be a true threat and ordered to keep the peace for a stated period of time and pay the court costs. The complainant, on the other hand, can be found guilty of bringing an unfounded claim and be ordered to pay the court costs after the charge has been dismissed.
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References
- Photo Credit peace image by Jim Parkin from Fotolia.com
