What legal document authorizes the arrest of a person?

• A. Arrest Warrant (AW)
• B. Summers Doctrine
• C. Notice Requirement
• D. Break Open Structure

Answer: (A)

An arrest warrant is the formal authority for seizing someone into custody. It’s a court-issued document, usually signed by a judge, that names the person to be arrested and describes the circumstances or location, based on probable cause. This written order gives law enforcement the legal permission to take the individual into custody and often to search for them if needed. Other terms mentioned don’t actually authorize an arrest: the Summers doctrine relates to procedural aspects of arrest situations rather than issuing the arrest itself; a notice requirement is simply a demand to appear or to notify someone, not a command to arrest; and breaking open a structure refers to the act of entering a building, not to the authorization to arrest. So the arrest warrant is the correct instrument that authorizes the arrest.