District of Columbia § 23-501 Definitions.

District of Columbia Statutes

§ 23-501 — Definitions.

District of Columbia § 23-501

Title 23Criminal Procedure. [Enacted title]

Ch. 5Warrants and Arrests.

Subch. IDefinitions.

This text of District of Columbia § 23-501 (Definitions.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District of Columbia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

D.C. Code § 23-501 (2026).

Text

As used in subchapters II, IV, and V of this chapter —

(1)The term “judicial officer” means a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia or of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, or a United States commissioner or magistrate for the District of Columbia.

(2)The term “law enforcement officer” means an officer or member of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, or of any other police force operating in the District of Columbia; an investigative officer or agent of the United States; animal control officer employed by the District of Columbia[;] employees of the Office of the Inspector General charged with conducting an investigation of an alleged felony and consistent with the authority granted under § 1-301.115a(f-1) ; or

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As used in subchapters II, IV, and V of this chapter —

(1) The term “judicial officer” means a judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia or of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, or a United States commissioner or magistrate for the District of Columbia.

(2) The term “law enforcement officer” means an officer or member of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, or of any other police force operating in the District of Columbia; an investigative officer or agent of the United States; animal control officer employed by the District of Columbia[;] employees of the Office of the Inspector General charged with conducting an investigation of an alleged felony and consistent with the authority granted under § 1-301.115a(f-1) ; or the Fire Marshal and any member of the Fire and Arson Investigation Unit of the Fire Prevention Bureau of the Fire Department of the District of Columbia, for the purpose of enforcing arson and the fire safety laws of the District of Columbia, who is so designated in writing by the Fire Chief.

(3) The term “prosecutor” means the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia or his assistant, the Corporation Counsel of the District of Columbia [Attorney General for the District of Columbia] or his assistant, or an attorney employed by, and who has entered an appearance on behalf of, the United States or the District of Columbia in a criminal case or in an investigation being conducted by a grand jury.

(4) “Field arrest” means a non-custodial arrest made pursuant to § 23-584 that requires the person to appear within 15 days before an official of the relevant law enforcement agency to complete the arrest process.

(5) “Release on citation” means the process by which a person arrested for eligible misdemeanors may be released on his or her promise to appear at a future date in court, or at some other designated place.

(6) “Releasing official” shall have the same meaning as provided in § 23-1110(a)(1) .

Legislative History

July 29, 1970, 84 Stat. 613, Pub. L. 91-358, title II, § 210(a); Oct. 18, 1988, D.C. Law 7-176, § 9(b), 35 DCR 4787; Mar. 26, 1999, D.C. Law 12-176, § 4, 45 DCR 5662; Apr. 24, 2015, D.C. Law 20-243, § 2(a)(2), 61 DCR 8320