Citizens can go to the magistrate to obtain an arrest warrant unless the offense is a felony offense. Which is the correct statement?

• A. Felony offense
• B. Misdemeanor offense
• C. Traffic offense
• D. Petty offense

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is who can initiate an arrest warrant through a magistrate and for what kinds of offenses. A private citizen can initiate the warrant process for less serious offenses by presenting a sworn complaint to a magistrate, which leads to an arrest warrant if there’s probable cause. But for the most serious category—felonies—the usual route is not to obtain a warrant directly as a private citizen; felonies typically require involvement from law enforcement or the prosecutor to present the case to a magistrate. So the statement is signaling that the ability to get a warrant from a magistrate exists for non-felony offenses, with the felony category being the exception. That’s why the correct choice identifies felony offense as the one that the rule excludes. In practice, this distinction helps determine when a private citizen can seek a warrant and when official prosecution channels are needed.