the.com/search warrant
A judge's permission slip that turns trespassing into evidence.
means A court-issued order authorizing police to search a specific place for specific evidence of a crime.
from Straightforward compound: 'warrant' comes via Old French 'garant/warant' (something that guarantees or authorizes), rooted in a Germanic word meaning to protect or guard — the same root family that gives English 'guarantee' and 'warranty.' Paired with 'search' (from Old French 'cerchier,' to go about seeking, ultimately from Latin 'circare,' to go around), the phrase simply names what it is: an official guarantee of authority to go searching.
- requires
- probable cause, not just a hunch
- must specify
- exact place and exact items sought
- signed by
- a neutral judge, not the cops asking
- exception
- none needed if you consent or it's in plain sight