The Latin term capias literally means “you are to seize,” or “you should seize,” and is commonly used in the U.S. legal system to refer to a warrant issued by a judge directing law enforcement to arrest a specified person.
Capias warrants are most commonly issued when a criminal defendant fails to appear in court for a scheduled hearing. By having police officers take the individual into custody, a judge can guarantee he appears in court.
Although a capias warrant is generally not criminal in nature, someone picked up on this type of warrant may spend a brief time in jail until the court can address his refusal to do something he's been ordered to do.
Procedures for Issuance of a Capias Warrant
Capias warrants, or arrest warrants, may be issued in a wide variety of situations, though there are certain procedures for issuance of a capias warrant required by law. These types of warrant are commonly referred to as “bench warrants,” because they are usually issued by judges when a person did not show up to court. This may be in a criminal matter, or in a civil matter in which the judge had previously ordered the individual to appear at a specified time, and failing to appear amounts to contempt of court.
While this may vary slightly by jurisdiction, a valid arrest warrant must include the following information:
Identity of person to be arrested
The offense charged, or reason for the arrest
A command that the person be arrested and brought without delay before the court
Signature of a judge
Get more info about capias warrants from links below:
Legaldictionary.net
Legalbeagle.com
Thelawdictionary.org