Legal Question in Criminal Law in Illinois

Re: Limitations

A warrant does not automatically expire. If you intend to attempt avoiding arrest and dealing with the problem, you will have to do so indefinitely. Depending upon a variety of factors, the law enforcement authorities may or may not make any direct effort to execute on the warrant or pick you up. However, as you no doubt already know, the warrant is entered into various law enforcement data bases and is immediately available to all law enforcement authorities across the nation. If you are pulled over for a traffic violation and the officer runs a check on you, the warrant will turn up and you will be arrested. If you are in the wrong place at the wrong time and a policeman asks you for your identification, they may very well discover the warrant and you would be arrested. If someone else runs a red light and hits your car while you are sitting still minding your own business, police may be called to the scene,your warrant may be discovered and you will be arrested. I have had clients hire me after being arrested in each of the above scenario's. Why would anyone take such a chance? My advice to you would be for you to hire a criminal defense attorney to represent you as soon as you possibly can. Your attorney may be able to have the warrant cancelled and may be able to defend the charge against you or at least negotiate a reasonable plea bargain on your behalf. There is absolutely no doubt that you will make your own situation much worse and cause yourself much more trouble and expense if you choose to avoid dealing with the problem by trying to avoid arrest.

Re: Limitations

The warrant will never expire. The only ways for it to be removed from the books is for it to be "executed" (that is when the warrant is terminated by your arrest), or if it is "quashed and recalled", by way of a motion with your voluntary appearance in court.