Art. 49.19. WARRANT OF ARREST.  (a)  A justice of the peace who is conducting an inquest of a death under this subchapter may issue a warrant for the arrest of a person suspected of causing the death if:
(1) the justice has knowledge that the person caused the death of the deceased;
(2) the justice receives an affidavit stating that the person caused the death;  or
(3) evidence is adduced at an inquest hearing that shows probable cause to believe the person caused the death.
(b) A peace officer who receives an arrest warrant issued by a justice of the peace shall:
(1) execute the warrant without delay;  and
(2) detain the person arrested until the person's discharge is ordered by the justice of the peace or other proper authority.
(c) A person who is charged in a death and arrested under a warrant of a justice of the peace shall remain in the custody of the arresting peace officer and may not be removed from the peace officer's custody on the authority of a warrant from another magistrate.  A person charged in a death who has not been arrested under a warrant of a justice of the peace may be arrested on the order of a magistrate other than the justice of the peace and examined by that magistrate while an inquest is pending.
Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 529, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.