Under Art. 45.014/45A.104, the judge's authority to issue warrants of arrest applies to which offenses?

• A. For fine-only misdemeanors filed in the judge's court
• B. For all misdemeanors and felonies
• C. For traffic offenses only
• D. For any offense in the state

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is understanding the limited scope of a judge’s warrant-issuing authority under these articles. Under Art. 45.014 and 45A.104, a judge may issue an arrest warrant only for fine-only misdemeanors that are filed in that judge’s own court. Those offenses carry no possible imprisonment, so the warrant is a tool to compel appearance in court for a case that can be resolved by a fine alone.

This means the authority does not extend to all misdemeanors or felonies, nor does it apply to traffic offenses in general, or to any offense statewide. For more serious charges or offenses filed in other courts, different procedures and authorities govern warrants.

So, the best-fit scenario is a fine-only misdemeanor filed in the judge’s court, where the judge can issue an arrest warrant to ensure the defendant appears.