Fugitive from the Law

I always read this and mean to ask and forget. Exactly what is a fugitive from the law in legal terms? I mean, I guess a wanted felon obviously but does it extend to say misdemeanors/parking tickets? Where is the line drawn, what defines it in terms of possessing a firearm? I'd hate to get pulled over, OC and be told I was a fugitive from the law because of a warrant for unpaid parking tickets or something, (not that I have any mind ya.. ).

Sundiver said:

I always read this and mean to ask and forget. Exactly what is a fugitive from the law in legal terms? I mean, I guess a wanted felon obviously but does it extend to say misdemeanors/parking tickets? Where is the line drawn, what defines it in terms of possessing a firearm? I'd hate to get pulled over, OC and be told I was a fugitive from the law because of a warrant for unpaid parking tickets or something, (not that I have any mind ya.. ).

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Warrants from out of state must be felonies, and even then sometimes a state will not go to the trouble of extradition.

Warrants from in-state can be for anything a judge will sign.

I know it's a stretch hypothetically but it's the sort of thing gets asked on here all the time. Let's say you're driving and OC, you get traffic stopped. It's discovered you have a warrant, say something simple like for parking tickets or something. LEO see's you are OC'ing. Can you be arrested as a fugitive from justice, since if you are a fugitive from justice you can't legally own a pistol.

Can a LEO say, hey you have a warrant for unpaid tickets, wait you're OC'ing you can't do that and have a warrant! Then cart you off? My OP being what exactly defines a fugitive from justice in practical terms?

Sundiver said:

I know it's a stretch hypothetically but it's the sort of thing gets asked on here all the time. Let's say you're driving and OC, you get traffic stopped. It's discovered you have a warrant, say something simple like for parking tickets or something. LEO see's you are OC'ing. Can you be arrested as a fugitive from justice, since if you are a fugitive from justice you can't legally own a pistol.

Can a LEO say, hey you have a warrant for unpaid tickets, wait you're OC'ing you can't do that and have a warrant! Then cart you off? My OP being what exactly defines a fugitive from justice in practical terms?

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Well I can only speak of my own experiences. Fugitive from justice is a holding charge for someone wanted from out of state. It allows for the arrest of an individual, based on a confirmed arrest warrant along with an agreement to extradite if necessary. The arrested individual is taken before a judge and normally held for a period of time while the state that wants them makes arrangements to pick them up. If the arrested individual waives extradition, he is picked up and taken back to the state that wants him/her. If not there is a formal Governors warrant issued and a formal process starts to send the individual back to the state that wants them.

If you are arrested on an outstanding warrant (in state) such as failure to appear in court, or other in state charge, you are simply charged with the crime listed in the warrant.

Okay, that makes sense. Just had this image of someone not even realizing they had a warrant, forgot about a ticket or what ever then OC'ing and being charged with carrying ontop of whatever else because they were carrying while having a warrant they didn't know they had.