An arrest warrant is?

• A. A field note
• B. A police directive to search
• C. An arrest without due process
• D. A court order for the suspect's arrest

Answer: (D)

An arrest warrant is a court order authorizing law enforcement to arrest a named individual who is suspected of a crime. It’s issued by a judge or magistrate after a probable cause showing in a sworn affidavit, meaning the court finds there’s a reasonable basis to believe the person committed the offense. The warrant allows officers to arrest the person even if they’re not in custody at the time and generally anywhere within the issuing jurisdiction, subject to legal limits and exceptions like hot pursuit or exigent circumstances. It’s not a field note or a directive to search; a field note is just documentation, and a search warrant deals with searching property, not arresting a person. The arrest warrant protects due process by providing judicial oversight before the arrest.