Who may seek issuance of a search warrant?

• A. A judge alone
• B. A private citizen
• C. A complaint on oath by a state's attorney or assistant state's attorney or by two credible persons
• D. A city council

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is who can start the process to obtain a search warrant. To protect privacy and prevent abuse, a warrant is issued only after a neutral judge is convinced there is probable cause based on a sworn statement. That sworn statement can come from either a government lawyer—specifically a state's attorney or an assistant state's attorney—or from two credible persons who file a complaint on oath. This setup gives the proper authority or credible witnesses a path to present the facts to a judge, who then decides whether there is enough probable cause to issue the warrant. A judge is the one who issues the warrant, not the one who seeks it, and a private citizen or a city council generally does not have standing to initiate the process.