Arrest

It may help to know the definition of the words crime [1], and corpus delicti [2] to understand why I even posted this. If you don't know the definitions of things, then how are you ever to understand them?

A seizure or forcible restraint; an exercise of the power to deprive a person of his or her liberty; the taking or keeping of a person in custody by legal authority, especially, in response to a criminal charge.


The purpose of an arrest is to bring the arrestee before a court or otherwise secure the administration of the law. An arrest serves the function of notifying the community that an individual has been accused of a crime and also may admonish and deter the arrested individual from committing other crimes. Arrests can be made on both criminal charges and civil charges, although civil arrest is a drastic measure that is not looked upon with favor by the courts. The federal Constitution imposes limits on both civil and criminal arrests.

arrest v. 1) to take or hold a suspected criminal with legal authority, as by a law enforcement officer. An arrest may be made legally based on a warrant issued by a court after receiving a sworn statement of probable cause to believe there has been a crime committed by this person, for an apparent crime committed in the presence of the arresting officer, or upon probable cause to believe a crime has been committed by that person. Once the arrest has been made, the officer must give the arrestee his/her rights ("Miranda rights") at the first practical moment, and either cite the person to appear in court or bring him/her in to jail. A person arrested must be brought before a judge for arraignment in a short time (e.g. within two business days), and have his/her bail set. A private "security guard" can not actually arrest someone except by citizen's arrest, but can hold someone briefly until a law officer is summoned. A "citizen's arrest" can be made by any person when a crime has been committed in his/her presence. However, such self-help arrests can lead to lawsuits for "false arrest" if proved to be mistaken, unjustified or involving unnecessary holding. 2) to delay the enforcement of a judgment by a judge while errors in the record are corrected. (See: warrant of arrest, false arrest, probable cause, Miranda warning)

Read the full definition on this link. http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/arrest 

[1] crime  

/krīm/

Noun An action or omission that constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law. Illegal activities: "the victims of crime".

Synonyms misdeed - offence - offense - felony - delinquency - sin

[2] cor·pus de·lic·ti
/dəˈliktī/
Noun
The facts and circumstances constituting a breach of a law.
Concrete evidence of a crime, such as a corpse.