An arrest warrant search in Lincoln County, NM, can quickly be undertaken through the magistrate’s court. Tribunals of this level have civil jurisdiction in cases where the claim amount does not exceed $15,000. In terms of criminal authority, the magistrate’s court handles pre-warrant and warrants. So, essentially, the police have to approach the sitting judge when they require active warrants.
This requirement arises when arrests cannot be made from the crime scene or as the offender is trying to flee the area in which the incident occurred. It is also commonplace to request arrest warrants in case of serious felonies. The police file the formal plea for a detention order with the judge’s office or the county clerk.
This petition is used for establishing probable cause when the judge is considering the merits of the charges being brought against the accused by the police. If it is reasonably clear from the evidence that the crime was indeed a handiwork of the alleged offender, an active warrant is granted to the sheriff’s s department.
The police hold on to outstanding warrants from Lincoln County till these orders are served. Upon execution, the document is returned to the office of the magistrate. From here, information about arrests is also sent out to the office of the clerk of court. Meanwhile, the accused is detained in police custody as the court prepares for a bail hearing.
Because the police, the clerk of court, and the judge have clearly defined roles in issuing arrest warrants in Lincoln County, information on arrest records and orders can be sought from any of their offices. These agencies work out of:
- Law enforcement: 300 Central Ave, PO Box 278, Carrizozo, New Mexico 88301
- Judiciary: 300 Central, Carrizozo, New Mexico 88301
- County clerk: PO Box 338, Carrizozo, New Mexico 88301
Who can help you with an over-the-phone warrant search and arrests inquiry in Lincoln County? (2021- Update)
- For information on arrests and inmates, call the Lincoln County Jail at 575-648-6510
- For arrest records, police reports and accident reports, get in touch with the Sheriff’s Department at 575-648-2341
- For information on arrest warrants, call the Magistrate’s Court at 575-648-2389/575-378-7022.
- For victim’s assistance, call the Lincoln County Attorney’s Office at 575-437-3640.
- For information on filing a request for a criminal background search, call the Office of the Clerk of Court at 575-648-2432.
Crime statistics of Lincoln County
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department received complaint against 161 crimes in 2019, not a big change over the 159 incidents reported in 2018. Of the complaints filed, property crimes accounted for the majority of the cases filed, at 118 complaints.
Violent offenses led to the remaining 43 complaints. The reported property crimes included 52 burglaries and 55 larceny thefts in this category. In the category of violent crimes, there were 38 reports of aggravated assault and 1 report of rape.
Over the last few years, there has been a dramatic rise in the crime rates of Lincoln County, New Mexico, with a spurt of over 90% seen in violent crime incidents and a whopping increase of 80% plus noticed in the rate of reported crime. Every year, about 420 criminal incidents are written in the area, and of these cases, about 13% are violent.