1. A warrant of arrest is a process issued by a local criminal court
directing a police officer to arrest a defendant designated in an
accusatory instrument filed with such court and to bring him before such
court in connection with such instrument. The sole function of a warrant
of arrest is to achieve a defendant's court appearance in a criminal
action for the purpose of arraignment upon the accusatory instrument by
which such action was commenced.
2. A warrant of arrest must be subscribed by the issuing judge and
must state or contain (a) the name of the issuing court, and (b) the
date of issuance of the warrant, and (c) the name or title of an offense
charged in the underlying accusatory instrument, and (d) the name of the
defendant to be arrested or, if such be unknown, any name or description
by which he can be identified with reasonable certainty, and (e) the
police officer or officers to whom the warrant is addressed, and (f) a
direction that such officer arrest the defendant and bring him before
the issuing court.
3. A warrant of arrest may be addressed to a classification of police
officers, or to two or more classifications thereof, as well as to a
designated individual police officer or officers. Multiple copies of
such a warrant may be issued.
Structure New York Laws
Part 2 - The Principal Proceedings
Title H - Preliminary Proceedings in Local Criminal Court
Article 120 - Warrant of Arrest
120.10 - Warrant of Arrest; Definition, Function, Form and Content.
120.20 - Warrant of Arrest; When Issuable.
120.30 - Warrant of Arrest; by What Courts Issuable and in What Courts Returnable.
120.50 - Warrant of Arrest; to What Police Officers Addressed.
120.55 - Warrant of Arrest; Defendant Under Parole or Probation Supervision.
120.60 - Warrant of Arrest; What Police Officers May Execute.
120.70 - Warrant of Arrest; Where Executable.