Can I Be Arrested on a Warrant From Another State?
Full Question:
Answer:
Extradition is extremely expensive and difficult from law enforcement's standpoint. You have to locate the defendant, prove to the host state that the defendant is who you claim that they are, get the home court's approval, then pay the costs of getting them into their system, going after them, finding them, and transporting them. It is usually only used in the most serious of cases, such as murder, and/or if the defendant is especially high profile, such as a drug lord, of if the case has some sort of special importance. The fact that 48 of the 50 states are deeply in the red right now just compounds the unattractiveness of the option. If they do not know where you are, that just exacerbates the whole dilemma, but it is unlikely to change the actual odds of you getting picked up.
Having a felony warrant for your arrest will create obstacles though; your social security income will be suspended while the warrant is outstanding, and you obviously would want to travel into or through the state hoping that you don't get pulled over for running a stop sign or whatever. What usually happens is that if the other state gets through the red tape to determine your whereabouts, they will send you a letter stating that you have the outstanding warrant and that you have been reported to your new state's law enforcement; they will tell you to turn yourself in. As long as there is a warrant out there somewhere, you will never be truly "safe"
See also:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071004170658AAheNsJ
