Arrest warrant

An arrest warrant is a warrant issued by a judge or magistrate on behalf of the state which authorizes the arrest and detention of an individual or the search and seizure of an individual's property. Arrest warrants are issued for different reasons. These include:

To keep a person from committing a crime, in the near future
Someone is suspected of having committed a crime, and that person is likely to flee, or to destroy evidence in connection with that crime
People are ordered to attend a hospital or mental health institution, or to do a therapy
Someone didn't attend a court of law, where he or she was summoned to appear, without reasonable excuse.
Someone was condemned to a prison term, but did not appear at the prison, as ordered