(a) Whenever any judge of any court shall issue his or her warrant against any person for failure to appear or comply with a court order, or for failure to make payment of a court ordered fine, civil assessment, or order of restitution, the judge may direct the warrant to each and all deputy sheriffs, the warrant squad, or any peace officer as defined in § 12-7-21, requiring them to apprehend the person and bring him or her before the court to be dealt with according to law; and the officers shall obey and execute the warrant, and be protected from obstruction and assault in executing the warrant as in service of other process. The person apprehended shall, in addition to any other costs incurred by him or her, be ordered to pay a fee for service of this warrant in the sum of one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125). Twenty-five dollars ($25.00) of the above fee collected as a result of a warrant squad arrest shall be divided among the local law enforcement agencies assigned to the warrant squad. Any person apprehended on a warrant for failure to appear for a cost review hearing in the superior court may be released upon posting with a justice of the peace the full amount due and owing in court costs as described in the warrant or bail in an other amount or form that will ensure the defendant's appearance in the superior court at an ability to pay hearing, in addition to the one hundred twenty-five dollars ($125) warrant assessment fee described above. Any person detained as a result of the actions of the justice of the peace in acting upon the superior court cost warrant shall be brought before the superior court at its next session. Such monies shall be delivered by the justice of the peace to the court issuing the warrant on the next court business day.
(b) Any person arrested pursuant to a warrant issued by a municipal court may be presented to a judge of the district court, or a justice of the peace authorized to issue warrants pursuant to § 12-10-2, for release on personal recognizance or bail when the municipal court is not in session. The provisions of this section shall apply only to criminal and not civil cases pending before the courts.
(c) Any person arrested pursuant to a warrant issued hereunder shall:
(1) be immediately brought before the court;
(2) if the court is not in session then the person shall be brought before the court at its next session;
(3) be afforded a review hearing on his/her ability to pay within forty-eight (48) hours; and
(4) if the court is not in session at the time of the arrest, a review hearing on his/her ability to pay will be provided at the time for the first court appearance, as set forth in subsection (c)(3) of this section.
History of Section.
P.L. 1986, ch. 404, § 1; P.L. 1989, ch. 195, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 322, § 1; P.L. 1995, ch. 370, art. 33, § 1; 1996, ch. 413, § 1; P.L. 2003, ch. 122, § 1; P.L. 2008, ch. 297, § 1; P.L. 2008, ch. 326, § 1; P.L. 2012, ch. 324, § 43.