In the form of what is a summons issued by the municipal judge?

• A. A felony capias
• B. A civil writ
• C. A misdemeanor warrant
• D. A traffic citation

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that a summons is a court order requiring someone to appear. In criminal matters handled by a municipal judge, when the court needs to ensure the defendant shows up for a felony proceeding, the document used is typically a capias for a felony. A capias functions as an appearance-order that also authorizes arrest if the person does not obey, so in this context it serves as the summons. This is different from a civil writ, which starts civil cases; a misdemeanor warrant, which is an arrest for a misdemeanor rather than a general summons to appear; and a traffic citation, which is simply a ticket or notice for a traffic violation rather than an order to attend court.