Alabama § 15-10-7 Arrests by Private Persons

Alabama Statutes

§ 15-10-7 — Arrests by Private Persons

Alabama § 15-10-7

Title 15Criminal Procedure

Ch. 10Arrests

Art. 1Arrest Before Indictment

This text of Alabama § 15-10-7 (Arrests by Private Persons) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Alabama primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Ala. Code § 15-10-7 (2026).

Text

(a)A private person may arrest another for any public offense:

(1)Committed in his presence;

(2)Where a felony has been committed, though not in his presence, by the person arrested; or

(3)Where a felony has been committed and he has reasonable cause to believe that the person arrested committed it.

(b)An arrest for felony may be made by a private person on any day and at any time.

(c)A private person must, at the time of the arrest, inform the person to be arrested of the cause thereof, except when such person is in the actual commission of an offense, or arrested on pursuit.

(d)If he is refused admittance, after notice of his intention, and the person to be arrested has committed a felony, he may break open an outer or inner door or window of a dwelling house.

(e)It is the duty o

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(a) A private person may arrest another for any public offense:
(1) Committed in his presence;
(2) Where a felony has been committed, though not in his presence, by the person arrested; or
(3) Where a felony has been committed and he has reasonable cause to believe that the person arrested committed it.
(b) An arrest for felony may be made by a private person on any day and at any time.
(c) A private person must, at the time of the arrest, inform the person to be arrested of the cause thereof, except when such person is in the actual commission of an offense, or arrested on pursuit.
(d) If he is refused admittance, after notice of his intention, and the person to be arrested has committed a felony, he may break open an outer or inner door or window of a dwelling house.
(e) It is the duty of any private person, having arrested another for the commission of any public offense, to take him without unnecessary delay before a judge or magistrate, or to deliver him to some one of the officers specified in Section 15-10-1, who must forthwith take him before a judge or magistrate.

Legislative History

(Code 1852, §§449-452; Code 1867, §§3998-4001; Code 1876, §§4668-4671; Code 1886, §§4266-4268; Code 1896, §§5215-5217; Code 1907, §§6273-6275; Code 1923, §§3267-3269; Code 1940, T. 15, §§158-160.)