Warrant by ezJustice
In just a few clicks, our innovative platform seamlessly connects law enforcement with on-call Judges and District Attorneys / Prosecutors, facilitating every step from warrant creation and signature to submission and electronic review, judicial swearing-in, and approval or rejection of search warrants.
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Law Enforcement Process
The officer completes and signs a warrant request and affidavit on their tablet, smartphone, or any web-enabled device using a warrant template provided by the selected court. -
Prosecutor / DA Process
Optional step: Available prosecutors are notified via voice call, text message, or email to approve and sign the warrant request electronically. -
Judge Review
Available Judges are notified to swear the officer in and e-sign the warrant electronically. Once complete, the requesting officer is notified. -
Process Returns
Law enforcement can electronically submit the return and inventory sheet back to the court and clerk for processing.
Seeing is Believing
Don't like to read? Grab your popcorn and watch the complete process of the electronic search warrant system in our comprehensive overview.
Which Role Do You Play?
Explore each role in more detail.
Law Enforcement Process
Warrant provides law enforcement with a dedicated portal for creating, submitting, and returning search warrants, streamlining the warrant process from start to finish. The portal includes intuitive prompts to guide officers through each step, ensuring all required information is provided. Additionally, Warrant seamlessly connects law enforcement with an available judge for fast review and approval, making the process more efficient while maintaining legal accuracy and accountability.
Standardized Templates or Custom Uploads
Officers have the flexibility to either use the court’s pre-existing templates or upload their own documents. This dual-option approach accommodates the inclusion of unique or non-standard warrants that may not be covered by the court's templates. Courts can also offer standardized templates for frequently used warrants.
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Frequently Used Warrants
- OVI - Blood Sample
- Subpoenas
- Electronic Devices
- Social Media Providers
- Cell Phone Carriers
- Bank Accounts
- Email Providers
Manage Users ez-ily
Each law enforcement agency has full control over managing their own roles and user accounts within their organization. This includes the ability to add and remove users, as well as define and assign permissions tailored to their needs.
Digital Signatures
Digitally certified e-signatures are easily configured and inserted into designated areas of a template, or users can utilize the drag-and-drop feature for unique or custom uploads.
View Real-Time Statuses of Submitted Warrants
Officers can efficiently monitor the status of submitted warrants, providing real-time updates and detailed insights into the progress and current status of a submitted warrant.
Prosecutors & District Attorneys
Warrant is tailored to support the distinct warrant processes of each court, offering both flexibility and efficiency. A notable feature is the optional Prosecutor/District Attorney (DA) review step, which adds an extra layer of checks and balances. This functionality enables prosecutors or DAs to electronically review, approve, and e-sign warrant requests. Available prosecutors receive notifications via voice call, text message, or email, ensuring a seamless process that upholds judicial integrity while providing the convenience of electronic approvals.
Customized Notifications when a Warrant is Submitted
When an officer submits a warrant to the on-call Prosecutor/DA, they receive customized notifications via text, email, and/or phone call alerting them that the warrant is ready for review. Additional reminder notifications can be sent if a prosecutor does not respond promptly.
Approvals and Rejections
Prosecutors/DAs can approve, modify, or reject warrants. If a warrant is rejected, prosecutors can add notes and return it to the officer detailing the necessary corrections.
Modifications for Officers
Prosecutors can download the warrant template created by the officers, make necessary changes, and then re-upload it into the system. This streamlined process allows for corrections without starting from scratch, significantly saving time. Once updated, the warrant is sent back to the officer for review and e-signing.
Sealing Requests
Officers or Prosecutors can easily add a request to seal the warrant packet when needed. This feature automatically incorporates a sealing entry template into the warrant packet, allowing the judge to sign with a single click.
Judges Process
Warrant streamlines the search warrant approval process by promptly notifying available judges when a warrant is ready for review. Judges receive customized notifications, ensuring they can respond swiftly from any location on any device. Judges can quickly swear in the officer within Warrant and electronically sign the document. The requesting officer is notified once the process is complete, facilitating quick and efficient search warrant execution.
Text/Call/Email Notifications
Judges receive notifications of submitted warrants via text, email, and/or phone call, with notification types varying based on the warrant type, time of day, or if the warrant is marked as an emergency.
Recorded Swear-Ins
Judges have the option to swear in the officer via a recorded phone call directly from the system or can simply utilize the officer's phone number to place a non-recorded call. The audio from recorded calls is automatically attached to the warrant packet in MP3 format. Additionally, judges can choose to conduct a video swear-in.
Managing Judge Availability and Assignment
Judges can make themselves available to receive warrants with just a few clicks, allowing officers to select from a drop-down list of those available. Alternatively, the court can upload the schedule into the system, allowing the system to automatically assign judges based on the schedule.
If the on-call judge is unavailable, the system can automatically notify a backup judge to handle the warrants. Judges can make themselves the backup judge or utilize an uploaded backup judge schedule to ensure seamless assignment.
View Prosecutor/DA Approval
The judge can review the detailed records of when the warrant was submitted and approved by the prosecutor or district attorney. This review process provides assurance that all required protocols were followed, verifying that the necessary approvals were obtained before proceeding.
Digitally Certified Signatures
Judges can apply a digitally certified signature to all types of warrants, including sealing documents, from any device with an internet connection, including smartphones, tablets, or laptops.
This digitally certified signature not only authenticates the document but also enhances security through digital verification. For added protection, the signature process can be secured with a PIN code, ensuring that only the authorized user can apply a signature.
Additional Features
As dedicated software developers, we are constantly seeking opportunities to enhance our system. If you can envision it, we have the expertise to bring it to life, optimizing and elevating the warrant experience.
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Document Expiration
Documents can be set to expire after a certain number of days after the judge's signature. This prohibits viewing the packet for users without permission.
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Stamps
Electronically apply stamps to uploaded documents to mark checkboxes or add additional information to the warrant. Examples:
- Checkmarks to check boxes
- Telephonic Oath
*Permissions for individual stamps can be customized based on user roles.
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Inject Custom Stamps Automatically
Custom stamp examples:
- Printed name
- Dates/times
- Court addresses
- Phone numbers
Returning Warrants to the Clerk's Office
Warrant streamlines the submission of warrant returns to the clerk's office with a fully electronic workflow. Clerks can either review and process submissions directly through the Warrant portal or access a secure email link to download the documents. To ensure prompt and efficient handling, courts often use dedicated email distribution groups for sealed and unsealed warrants, ensuring that the appropriate staff receives and processes the returns swiftly.
Reminders for Officers
Automated recurring reminders are delivered straight to officers to guarantee they submit returns promptly and effectively.
Clerk's Portal
Clerks can access the Warrant application via the portal to approve or deny the submission. Various queues can be established to manage sealed or unsealed warrant packets, ensuring they reach the appropriate staff in the clerk's office. Alternatively, an email with a document link can be sent to a designated email address for downloading and processing.
Warrant Packets
Officers can upload their return documents to the search warrant packet and apply their digital signature. They can then send the return to the judge for an electronic signature or directly to the clerk's office for processing.
System Configuration & Customization
Warrant is designed with exceptional flexibility, allowing courts to configure the system to meet their unique processes and requirements. From utilizing optional reviews by Prosecutors or District Attorneys to customizing notification preferences for judges and clerks, Warrant can be tailored to each court's process. The platform supports a range of configurations, including user roles, access levels, and document management procedures, ensuring that courts can configure the system to enhance their warrant process while maintaining adherence to their specific legal protocols.
Customizable Notifications Per Warrant Type
Notification workflows can be customized for each type of warrant packet and configured differently based on the time of day and whether or not it was marked as an emergency. Text messages, emails, and/or phone calls are tailored for business hours, after-hours, and emergency situations and can include specific details from the submission.
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Example Notification Workflow
Scenario: An officer needs an after-hours OVI Blood draw, requiring the warrant to be signed and served within 3 hours.
- Once submitted, the Judge receives an immediate text notification:
- “Officer Tristan from ezJustice PD submitted an emergency OVI Blood Draw at 11:00 PM on 1/5/2024. Contact the Officer at (419)-755-6700.”
- If the judge does not acknowledge the warrant within 5 minutes, the Judge will receive a phone call.
- “The OVI Blood Draw submitted at 11:00 PM on 1/5/2024 by Officer Tristan has not yet been reviewed.”
- If there is still no acknowledgment after 10 minutes, a backup Judge will be notified.
- “Backup Judge: An emergency OVI Blood Draw was submitted to Judge Jim at 11:00 PM on 1/5/2024 by Officer Tristan.”
- Once the document is approved or rejected, the officer is notified by email:
- “The OVI Warrant submitted at 11:00 PM on 1/5/2024 has been signed and is available for download.”
- Once submitted, the Judge receives an immediate text notification:
Define the Court's Warrant Process
We understand that each court has its unique process. Therefore, our system is fully adaptable to meet your court's specific needs, language, and procedures.
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Customizable Document Types
Various warrant types can be fully customized, with built-in safeguards to ensure the comprehensive collection of all required documents for each case. -
Customizable Warrant Routing
Routing workflows can be customized for each type of warrant packet to determine the specific submission and approval processes.
- Specify whether packets require approval from the prosecutor/DA or if it can be sent directly to the judge.
- Choose the appropriate group of judges for each warrant type. For example, geolocation warrants may be assigned exclusively to common pleas judges.
- Determine if an Inventory Return is necessary and whether it should be submitted to the judge first or directly to the clerk’s office.
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Custom Fields
Define the fields necessary to capture all the necessary information for the warrant and specify which roles are authorized to modify each field.
Examples:
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Incident ID: Editable only by law enforcement before the judge's approval.
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Search Type: (Car, Social, Email, House, etc.) Required and only modifiable by judges.
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System Security
We prioritized security and accessibility in the design of Warrant, implementing robust measures across the platform to safeguard sensitive documents and data. Every aspect of the system is built with security in mind, ensuring a reliable and protected environment for users.
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Hosting
Warrant is primarily hosted on Amazon Web Services Government Cloud (AWS GovCloud), known for its secure and scalable infrastructure designed for handling sensitive data and controlled unclassified information (CUI). On-premises hosting options are also available.
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Role-Based Signature Fields
Signature fields in the warrant templates are configured to restrict signing access to designated user roles, ensuring that only specific roles can sign specific fields. This setup enhances security by preventing unauthorized signatures and maintaining the integrity of the signing process.
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Role-Based Access Control
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) strengthens security and operational efficiency by assigning specific permissions based on user roles. This ensures that only authorized individuals can access or modify sensitive information. For instance, law enforcement officers can submit and track warrant requests, department administrators can manage user roles without approving warrants, and judges can review and make decisions on requests. By clearly delineating responsibilities, RBAC not only streamlines the warrant process but also prevents unauthorized access, upholds user privacy, and provides a comprehensive audit trail. This approach ensures compliance with agency standards while enhancing workflow efficiency.
The Best Part?
$200 Per Month/Court
Warrant is licensed by the court, not by law enforcement agencies.
- Includes up to four Judges
- Each additional Judge is $50 per month.
- Unlimited Law Enforcement Agencies and Users
- Unlimited Prosecutors and District Attorneys
- Unlimited document signatures
- Preloaded court-customized warrant templates
- Law enforcement access to all Warrant courts in the state
- Custom Notification Workflows (text messages, phone calls, and emails)
- On-site, virtual, written, and/or video training
- US-based (Ohio) customer support
(419)-755-6700