cepi

/siypay/ I have taken. This word was of frequent use in the returns of sheriffs when they were made in Latin, and particularly in the return to a writ of capias. The full return (in Latin) to a writ of capias was commonly made in one of the following forms: Cepi corpus, I have taken the body, i.e., arrested the body of the defendant; Cepi corpus et bail, I have taken the body and released the defendant on a bail-bond; Cepi corpus et committitur, I have taken the body and he has been committed (to prison); Cepi corpus et est in custodia, I have taken the defendant and he is in custody; Cepi corpus et est languidus, I have taken the defendant and he is sick, i.e., so sick that he cannot safely be removed from the place where the arrest was made; Cepi corpus et paratum habeo, I have taken the body and have it (him) ready, i.e., in custody and ready to be produced when ordered