Which instrument would an officer obtain to bring a defendant before the court for arraignment on an indictment?

• A. Warrant of arrest
• B. Bench warrant
• C. Superior Court warrant of arrest
• D. Citation

Answer: (C)

When a person is charged by indictment, the court that issued the indictment is the one with the authority to order the arrest to bring the defendant in for arraignment. The correct instrument is a warrant of arrest issued by the Superior Court, because it carries the court’s specific authority to arrest someone on that indictment and bring them before the court for arraignment. A general warrant of arrest isn’t tied to the indictment or the specific court. A bench warrant is used when someone fails to appear or disobeys a court order after custody has already been involved, not the initial arraignment on an indictment. A citation is a non-arrest notice used for certain appearances and isn’t used to compel an arraignment on an indictment. So the Superior Court warrant of arrest is the proper instrument.