Conduct a Free Cass County Warrant Search: Verify Who’s Wanted

Free Cass County Warrant Search
Find out if you or someone else has a warrant out for their arrest in Cass County, Texas, free of charge.

Execute a free Cass County warrant search in no time using the convenient options laid out in this resource.

Citizens are authorized to inspect and copy records of warrants through the Texas Public Information Act and the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A warrant lookup can satisfy your curiosity about someone wanted or to ensure that you don’t have any outstanding warrants. The law doesn’t require you to have a specific purpose for reviewing these details.

There are various means to access warrant information, depending on the government agency that hosts them. This streamlined resource will effectively lead you through the warrant search process in Cass County, Texas.

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

Information Necessary To Find Warrant Details for Free in Cass County Texas

There are certain things you should know about warrants in Cass County to assist you with finding the information you’re seeking. Having a basic understanding of warrants and how they’re searched can help you avoid mistakes and allow you to more effectively prepare for finding this information.

Although warrant information is generally available, Texas’ Public Information Act does contain some exceptions that may restrict certain records.1

To understand how the primary exception works, it’s important that you know that there are various types of warrants (details on the different types will be discussed later) and some – when active – are more prone to be exempt than others.

As an example, search warrants tend to be restricted until they are fully resolved. The reason for this is because there’s an exemption to restrict information that may negatively impact a law enforcement investigation. Making the location of a pending search for criminal evidence public has a high likelihood of having a negative impact on the connected law enforcement investigation.

If warrant information is publicly available, you’ll be able to access it in various ways. One option is to conduct a warrant search informally through in-person searches. You may also submit formal requests for warrant records via either mail or email.

Before you conduct your search, make sure you confirm you have the correct spelling of the person’s first name. Also, see if you can confirm the county where they reside. You will also need to know the county where the warrant was issued so you can focus your search on the appropriate government agencies.

Other information that may be helpful when conducting a warrant search is any additional details about the person, such as their physical characteristics or date of birth. If you’re having trouble finding the correct information, it may help if you know approximately when the warrant was issued and what charges are associated with it.

Record custodians for warrant information can differ from one county to the next. In Cass County, the record custodian for warrants and related information is the District Clerk (who handles records for two separate courts). You may also find warrant information with the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.

In some towns and cities, warrants are issued and maintained at the municipal level. You may be able to uncover warrant information with a local court or police department. In Cass County, certain cities have municipal courts, although it’s unclear if they provide warrant information.

You now have the information necessary to find warrant details in Cass County. Next, you will learn the specifics of how to conduct a search of warrant information in Cass County.

How To Run a Cass County Warrant Search Seamlessly

If you have the information you need to conduct a warrant search, you can seek criminal records from the Cass County District Clerk.2 Within these criminal records, you’ll be able to find any warrant information related to the case.

There are two different courts in Cass County that handle criminal cases. It may be helpful to know what each court handles to better prepare you for your search. The 5th District Court handles all felony cases.3 These are serious criminal cases such as murder, rape and armed robbery.

A screenshot of the 5th District Court's calendar and dockets, indicating the schedule of court events, including civil and criminal dockets and trial dates, with a clear notice that the location has been moved and a disclaimer stating that all dockets are subject to change without notice.
Source: 5th District Court4

The other – the Cass County Court at Law – handles misdemeanor and other minor criminal cases.5 Examples of misdemeanors include trespass, shoplifting and harassment.

A schedule showing various court proceedings for a county court of law, listing dates and times for civil cases, drug court sessions, and criminal dockets, with a notice that court activities have relocated to a new law enforcement and justice center and a warning that dockets may change without a prior update.
Source: Cass County Court at Law6

The Cass County District Clerk does not have an online search tool for accessing this information. As a result, you will have to search by different means. You may consider submitting a request by mail or in person at the address below:

Cass County District Clerk
604 Hwy. 8 N., P.O. Box 510
Linden, Texas 75563

If you want to make an inquiry about how warrant information is made available, you can also call the District Clerk at 903-756-7514. They’re available Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Another option when seeking warrant information is to check with law enforcement agencies responsible for executing warrants. In Cass County, you can reach out to the Sheriff’s Office to see if they can provide you with any additional warrant information.

You can contact them by phone at 903-756-7511. You can also talk to someone at their office located at the address below:

Cass County Sheriff’s Office
604 Highway 8N
Linden, TX 75563

In certain states, there’s a government agency or database that allows you to search for warrants in every county at once. Texas does not maintain warrant information at the state level. As a result, for Texas warrant information, your primary option is searching at the county level.

Warrant Types & Their Meanings

There are several different warrant types, and understanding how they’re similar and differ from each other can be valuable as you conduct a search. Understanding the different warrants can also assist you as you review the information from your search.

In Cass County, your searches will most likely include arrest warrants. An issued arrest warrant gives law enforcement the authority to take a person into custody for the alleged commission of a crime. To get an arrest warrant, the judge must determine that the evidence provided by law enforcement establishes probable cause that this person committed a specific crime.

You will also likely encounter a bench warrant during your search. These types of warrants also authorize law enforcement to take a person into custody. However, the reason isn’t for a crime but rather a failure to follow a court order.

The most common reason for a bench warrant is failure to show up at a hearing. Since this type of warrant involves a judicial matter, it doesn’t require evidence to be submitted by law enforcement.

In Cass County (and all of Texas), they also have what’s referred to as a blue warrant. This warrant is issued when a person violates a specific term of probation or parole. A fugitive warrant may be issued if a person – after committing a crime – has fled the jurisdiction.

A child support warrant is issued if a person has become significantly delinquent on their child support payments. Another interesting type is the capias pro fine warrant. This kind of warrant is issued when an individual fails to pay the court-ordered restitution for a judgment that had been issued against them.

A search warrant contains interesting information; however, you’ll likely only be able to view these after they’ve been fully executed. Once issued, a search warrant authorizes law enforcement to investigate a non-public area for evidence of a crime. To obtain a search warrant, law enforcement must present enough evidence to establish probable cause that the evidence of a particular crime is in that location.

If a warrant is listed as “active,” it simply means that it hasn’t been fully resolved or executed yet. Any of the above may be considered an active warrant, depending on its current status.

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

After using the tools outlined in this article, you may have found out that there’s an active warrant for your arrest or someone you know. It’s important to know what you should do when this occurs.

Above all, if you conduct a search and find out that there is a warrant for your arrest, you should take immediate action. The type of action you need to take depends on the type and severity of the warrant. If it’s a bench warrant for a missed hearing or an unpaid fine, you may be able to rectify the matter without having to turn yourself in.

However, absent explicit instructions on how to resolve the warrant, a wise step to take is to contact a licensed criminal defense attorney in Cass County. They can inform you of the severity of the warrant and what steps you need to take.

This may result in having to turn yourself into law enforcement’s custody. If this is the case, you should also contact a bail bondsman. They can assist you in preparing for the option to post bail after you’ve been fully processed with law enforcement.

In addition, you will likely want to notify any family members, especially anyone that you live with; there’s no telling how quickly you’ll be able to contact them after you’re in custody.

Now, if you find out that someone you know has an active warrant, you have some options. In most cases, if the warrant is not severe, it’s a kind gesture to let the person know about it. Like you, they may have been unaware that they even had an active warrant.

Of course, if you aren’t comfortable with doing this, you can let a mutual acquaintance know and they can pass along the information to the subject of the warrant.

If the active warrant is for a more serious or violent felony, you might want to take a different course of action. In this situation, you should consider sharing whatever information you know about the absconder’s whereabouts with law enforcement. For example, you could call the Cass County Sheriff’s Office at 903-756-7511 or visit them in person at the location listed below:

Cass County Sheriff’s Office
604 Highway 8N
Linden, Texas 75563

There are other options too, especially if the person has fled Cass County. For instance, you can provide this information to Texas Crime Stoppers by calling them at 1-800-252-8477.7

An online form provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety for submitting tips about crimes or fugitives requires a detailed description of the incident, the type of offense, and the specific location, with a clear reminder for users to call 911 if the situation is an emergency or if a crime is currently happening.
Source: Texas Department of Public Safety8

You should now feel confident that you can efficiently conduct a Cass County warrant search; use the tips and resources provided in this article to conduct an effective search for a variety of warrants in Cass County, Texas.


References

1Texas Attorney General. (n.d.). Overview of the Public Information Act. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from <https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/open-government/members-public/overview-public-information-act>

2Cass County, Texas. (n.d.). District Clerk. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from <https://www.co.cass.tx.us/page/cass.District.Clerk>

3Cass County, Texas. (n.d.). District Court. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from <https://www.co.cass.tx.us/page/cass.District.Court>

4Cass County, Texas. (n.d.). 5th Judicial District Court Dockets. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from <https://www.co.cass.tx.us/page/cass.5thDockets>

5Cass County, Texas. (n.d.). County Court. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from <https://www.co.cass.tx.us/page/cass.County.Court>

6Cass County, Texas. (n.d.). Court at Law Dockets. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from <https://www.co.cass.tx.us/page/cass.CourtatLawDockets>

7Texas Governor’s Office. (n.d.). Crime Stoppers Homepage. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from <https://gov.texas.gov/organization/crime-stoppers/homepage>

8P3 Tips. (n.d.). Submit a Tip. Retrieved January 31, 2024, from <https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=650#>