Paratum Habeo Law and Legal Definition
Paratum habeo is a Latin term which means “I have him in readiness.” It refers to a sheriff’s return of a writ of capias ad respondendum, stating that the defendant is ready to be presented before court. where the defendant is at large, paratum habeo, is often considered by everyone as a fiction. Where the sheriff does not produce the defendant, the sheriff cannot be successfully sued for a false return.
