Can something like a warrant disappear in the system and show up all of a sudden after 11 years?

In 2002, I was charged with a DUI and driving on a suspended license after the DUI. I never made the court dates for both cases as I've had to get back to school and then moved to another state.After a few years, I paid some fines, attended classes and what have you to get my license back. Which I did get back in 2004 and have been in good standing since that time. I've also been pulled over a couple of times for minor traffic violations since getting my license back. I've even moved back to Illinois and got my license here and also been stopped for very minor traffic issues (ie blocking an intersection). I was never told of any existing warrants.In those years, I've even had my background checked multiple times for work and made overseas trips and nothing ever showed up.Few days ago, I was randomly stopped without any violation and was arrested with the officer explaining that I had a warrant out for my arrest from 2002. I was arrested and released on bail.How can all of the stops I had not reveal such issue? How did I even get my license back with such issue?And what can be my defense now that I face court dates for two charges that were made in 2002? I have never had any type of moving violations or any type of legal issue since 2002. In fact, those two cases are the only legal run ins that I had in life.