probable cause
Grounds for arrest
Probable cause is the legal standard requiring reasonable grounds to believe a crime has been committed before police can make an arrest, conduct a search, or obtain a warrant.
It demands more than mere suspicion but less than proof beyond a reasonable doubt: The officer had probable cause to search the vehicle after smelling marijuana.
The Fourth Amendment protects against searches and seizures without it.
Justifiable grounds for investigation
- burden of proofDuty to prove allegations
- preponderanceSuperiority in weight or number
- Fourth AmendmentSearch and seizure protection
- due processGuaranteed judicial fairness
affidavit · evidence · testimony · circumstantial · corroborate · exculpatory · incriminating · jurisprudence
Seize by law
- search warrantDocument permitting lawful premises examination
- seizureForcible taking or convulsion
- detentionTemporary official holding
- investigationFormal examination of facts
interrogation · raid · surveillance · informant · tip-off · traffic stop · drug dog · pat-down
reasonable suspicion
Justifiable grounds for investigation
- burden of proofDuty to prove allegations
- preponderanceSuperiority in weight or number
- Fourth AmendmentSearch and seizure protection
due process · affidavit · evidence · testimony · circumstantial · corroborate · exculpatory · incriminating · jurisprudence · indictment
arrest
Seize by law
- search warrantDocument permitting lawful premises examination
- seizureForcible taking or convulsion
- detentionTemporary official holding
investigation · interrogation · raid · surveillance · informant · tip-off · traffic stop · drug dog · pat-down · booking
- crime investigationdetective, whodunit, investigation, detectives, investigator
- policingpatrol, police powers, arrests, police officer, arrest
- criminal lawcrime, felony, misdemeanor, murder, robbery
- arrestarrest, handcuffs, Miranda warning, booking, custody
- ConstitutionBill of Rights, preamble, articles, U.S. Constitution, Article I
- Crash InvestigationsNTSB, crash investigation, crash site, crash scene, black box
probable causehunch
Unproven inner sense
gut feeling · speculation · conjecture · beyond a reasonable doubt · reasonable suspicion
probable causewithout cause
unreasonable search · unjustified · unwarranted · groundless · baseless
cause, probably, probable, probability, improbable, causation, improbability, improbably, probables