Walk It Through: The Arrest Downtown
A shove seen by an officer, a summons offered, questions in custody, and a phone taken.
An officer on foot sees a shove outside a bar.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
A misdemeanor level scuffle and an ordinary booking. Bail is on its own page, and serious felonies with warrants are not part of this walk.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- In the officer's presenceConduct an officer's own senses give personal knowledge of, enough for a prudent officer to believe a Class D or Class E crime is happening or just happened, which allows a warrantless arrest for those classes.
- SummonsA written order to appear in court an officer may hand out instead of making an arrest, on the Uniform Summons and Complaint, which the person signs as a promise to appear.