The judge does not need to determine probable cause before issuing the arrest warrant for a defendant who has failed to appear in the court.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Not specified
• D. Only if the defendant is in custody

Answer: (B)

Probable cause is needed to justify an arrest warrant. Even when someone has failed to appear in court, the court cannot issue an arrest warrant without a showing that there is a plausible basis to believe the person committed a crime or violated a court order. A failure to appear is itself a violation (often treated as contempt or as a crime under the underlying charges), and the record showing that the defendant did not appear provides the evidence: there is likely a valid reason to arrest to bring the person before the court. So, a judge generally relies on that record to establish probable cause before issuing the warrant. Therefore, saying no probable cause is required is not correct.