California · Penal Code

PEN §168: (a) Every district attorney, clerk, judge, or peace officer who, except by issuing or in executing a search warrant or warrant of arrest for a felony, willfully discloses the fact of the warrant prior

Misdemeanor

What this law says, in plain English

A district attorney, clerk, judge, or peace officer who willfully discloses a warrant's existence before execution to prevent search, seizure, or arrest is punishable by county jail time up to one year or state imprisonment.

Read the full statutory text

(a) Every district attorney, clerk, judge, or peace officer who, except by issuing or in executing a search warrant or warrant of arrest for a felony, willfully discloses the fact of the warrant prior to execution for the purpose of preventing the search or seizure of property or the arrest of any person shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year or pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 1170. (b) This section shall not prohibit the following: (1) A disclosure made by a district attorney or the Attorney General for the sole purpose of securing voluntary compliance with the warrant. (2) Upon the return of an indictment and the issuance of an arrest warrant, a disclosure of the existence of the indictment and arrest warrant by a district attorney or the Attorney General to assist in the apprehension of a defendant. (3) The disclosure of an arrest warrant pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) of Section 14207.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

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This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.