# Know anyone with a warrant out?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/know-anyone-with-a-warrant-out/77079>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 20, 2001, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/know-anyone-with-a-warrant-out/77079 "2001-08-20T02:18:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/know-anyone-with-a-warrant-out/77079/1 "2001-08-20T02:18:33Z")

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From the United States Code:

[Sec. 3059. Rewards and appropriations therefor](http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/3059.html)

> [@](#):
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> There is authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of $25,000 as a reward or rewards for the capture of anyone who is charged with violation of criminal laws of the United States or any State or of the District of Columbia, and an equal amount as a reward or rewards for information leading to the arrest of any such person, to be apportioned and expended in the discretion of, and upon such conditions as may be imposed by, the Attorney General of the United States. Not more than $25,000 shall be expended for information or capture of any one person.

Does this really mean that there is an automatic $25K reward for each and _every_ fugitive? I’m assuming this is limited to felonies.

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**Author:** ![johnson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@johnson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnson)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/know-anyone-with-a-warrant-out/77079/2 "2001-08-20T02:34:50Z")

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My guess (I don’t work with the federal budget much) is that the key is “authorized to be appropriated.” Without an appropriation, there cannot be an expenditure. So you would need to look at the actual budget bills to see if any amounts have been appropriated.

Of course, this could just be the traditional style of writing federal law and I’m completely wrong…

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**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2001, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/know-anyone-with-a-warrant-out/77079/3 "2001-08-20T13:28:36Z")

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…and my guess would be that the operative phrase is “to be apportioned and expended in the discretion of the Attorney General”. So if you get the drop on Hannibal Lecter, rope him, tie him, and drag him down to the county lockup, it’s still up to the A.G. as to whether you get paid for him.