Legal Definitions - arrest without a warrant

Arrest without a warrant is when a person is taken into custody by law enforcement without a warrant. This can happen if the police have probable cause to believe that the person has committed a crime or if the arrest is made in response to a criminal charge.

Examples of arrest without a warrant include:

• A police officer sees someone breaking into a car and immediately arrests them.
• A person is suspected of committing a crime and the police arrest them without a warrant based on evidence they have gathered.
• A private citizen makes a citizen's arrest of someone they witnessed committing a crime.

These examples illustrate how an arrest can be made without a warrant if there is probable cause or if a crime has been committed in the presence of law enforcement or a private citizen.