N.Y. Criminal Procedure Law § 120.10: Warrant of arrest; definition, function, form and content

§ 120.10 Warrant of arrest; definition, function, form and content.

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.