What is a capias?

• A. An order for a person to appear before a court (penalties imposed if noncompliant)
• B. A warrant to search a residence
• C. A subpoena to produce evidence
• D. An order to pay fines

Answer: (A)

A capias is an order that compels a person to appear before a court, with penalties if they don’t show up. It’s used to enforce attendance, allowing law enforcement to arrest the individual so they can be brought before the court. This is distinct from a search warrant (which authorizes searching a place), a subpoena (which requests appearance or evidence but isn’t an automatic arrest order), or a simple order to pay fines (which obligates payment rather than attendance).