A written order authorizing an arrest or search is called a

• A. Indictment
• B. Decree
• C. Warrant
• D. Subpoena

Answer: (C)

A written order authorizing an arrest or search is a warrant. It’s issued by a judge or magistrate based on probable cause and authorizes law enforcement to act—detaining a person with an arrest warrant or inspecting a place with a search warrant. The warrant must describe who is to be arrested or what and where is to be searched, and what may be seized in the process, providing constitutional protections for privacy and due process.

Indictment is a formal charging document brought by a grand jury accusing someone of a crime, not an order to arrest or search. A decree is a broad term for an official order but isn’t the specific instrument used to authorize arrests or searches. A subpoena commands someone to appear in court or to produce evidence, but it does not authorize an arrest or a search.