Know What Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion Mean

In order to arrest you, police officers either have to have a loopwarrant in hand or they need probable cause that you committed a crime. The standard of probable cause is one that is set by the Fourth Amendment. It means that a reasonable person would believe that based on the circumstances and information present that you committed the crime in question.

Probable cause is sometimes easy to meet. For example, if the officer clearly sees a person commit a crime, that would meet the requirements. It is sometimes a bit more complex and comes as a result of an investigation.

There are times when a person needs to be detained so that the officer can find out what happened. In order to detain someone, the police officer needs to have reasonable suspicion that there is something amiss. This is a much lower standard than the probable cause because it only means the officer has an inclination that a crime was committed.

Probable cause and reasonable suspicion are only two of the concepts that you might come across when you are dealing with law enforcement officers. It is imperative that you take the time to learn about these and find out how they might impact your defense strategy.

When you are working on your defense strategy for any criminal charges, you need to think carefully about the defense strategy that you want to use. This can encompass a variety of points, but it must accurately reflect the facts of the case that you are presenting to the jury. Your defense attorney can help you plan your strategy.