Generally, a private citizen has the right to initiate an arrest for a misdemeanor if:

A private citizen is generally allowed to initiate an arrest for a misdemeanor when that misdemeanor is committed in the presence of the citizen. This rule is based on the principle that a citizen can act to prevent crime or disturbances that they can directly observe. Being a witness to the offense allows the citizen to have immediate knowledge of the situation, which helps ensure that the arrest is justified and reduces the likelihood of mistaken judgments about whether an arrest is necessary.

The requirement that the misdemeanor must occur in the arrester's presence is significant because it necessitates direct observation, which is important for maintaining order and protecting the rights of individuals involved. If a private citizen were allowed to arrest someone for a misdemeanor based solely on hearsay or secondhand information—without personally witnessing the event—there would be a higher potential for abuse and wrongful detentions.

The other options are not consistent with the legal framework surrounding citizen's arrests. Although it is indeed important that a misdemeanor must have been committed, it is the immediacy of witnessing the act that empowers a private citizen to make that arrest. Therefore, the condition that the misdemeanor occurs in the observer's presence is the correct and applicable criterion for a private citizen's right to initiate an arrest in this context.