Rule 17 Hearings on Issuance of Search Warrants

When a judge decides to approve a search or arrest warrant, that process sometimes involves a hearing where people speak out loud. If that hearing is not recorded, the judge must write down any spoken testimony they heard that is not already in the written affidavit.

This written note becomes part of the record for why the judge approved the warrant. It helps show that there was a good reason to issue the warrant, based on everything the judge heard and considered.