What is a ramey warrant?

A Ramey warrant is a type of warrant issued by a judge in California when a suspect is arrested without a warrant and law enforcement officers are seeking a warrant to formalize the arrest. It is named after the landmark California Supreme Court case of People v. Ramey, which set the precedent for this type of warrant.

A Ramey warrant allows law enforcement officers to arrest a suspect without a warrant under certain circumstances, such as when officers have probable cause to believe that the suspect has committed a crime and there is a risk that the suspect may flee or destroy evidence if they are not immediately taken into custody.

The warrant must be issued by a judge based on sworn testimony or a written affidavit from a law enforcement officer detailing the probable cause for the arrest. Once the Ramey warrant is issued, law enforcement officers have the authority to arrest the suspect and bring them before the court for formal charging proceedings.

Ramey warrants are often used in cases where law enforcement officers have urgent or time-sensitive information about a suspect and need to make an arrest quickly to prevent the suspect from fleeing or committing additional crimes.