A capias is most accurately described as

• A. Equivalent of an adult warrant but for a juvenile.
• B. A subpoena.
• C. A civil writ.
• D. A traffic stop.

Answer: (A)

Capias is a court order to take a person into custody and bring them before the court. In juvenile cases, it functions like an arrest warrant specifically to compel a juvenile to appear or answer charges. It enforces a court command, rather than requiring testimony or documents (that’s what a subpoena does), and it isn’t a civil writ used in non-criminal matters. It also isn’t related to traffic enforcement, so a capias isn’t a traffic stop. For example, if a juvenile misses a court date, a capias allows law enforcement to detain and transport the juvenile to court.