1. When a law enforcement officer has probable cause to believe that a person is a necessary and material witness to a felony and that such person might be unavailable for service of a subpoena, the officer may arrest such person as a material witness with or without an arrest warrant.

Terms Used In Iowa Code 804.11

  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • person: means individual, corporation, limited liability company, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership or association, or any other legal entity. See Iowa Code 4.1
  • Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
  • Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
 2. At the time of the arrest, the law enforcement officer shall inform the person of:

 a. The officer’s identity as a law enforcement officer.
 b. The reason for the arrest which is that the person is believed to be a material witness to an identified felony and that the person might be unavailable for service of a subpoena.