Probable cause In United States criminal law, probable cause is the legal standard by which police authorities have reason to obtain a warrant for the arrest of a suspected criminal and for …

Jul 9, 2025 · Stop and Frisk In Terry v. Ohio, the Supreme Court authorized a limited search known as a “stop and frisk.” This allows police to briefly detain a person if they have …

Apr 4, 2025 · “Probable cause” is the level of suspicion needed before police can conduct a search or investigation. The principle behind the standard is to limit the power of authorities to …

Mar 8, 2025 · Typically, police officers need to see, hear or even smell something that gives them reason to suspect that a specific type of criminal incident has occurred to claim they have …

Dec 5, 2025 · Police can search people or property if they have probable cause to believe evidence of crime will be discovered. While the Fourth Amendment prefers search warrants, …

Dec 31, 2025 · A search incident to arrest is an exception to the rule that police usually need a warrant to search a person or place. The U.S. Supreme Court created the search-incident-to …

Oct 18, 2025 · There are two main legal doctrines that can apply when a search or seizure violates the Fourth Amendment. The first is known as the exclusionary rule. It provides that …

Mar 10, 2025 · In other words, police cannot search you or your property without a warrant, and they must have probable cause to obtain a warrant. Probable cause means a reasonable …

Mar 21, 2025 · Reasonable suspicion is a legal standard that allows police officers to briefly stop and question a person if they have specific facts that suggest criminal activity is taking place.

Reasonable suspicion is a standard used in criminal procedure to assess the legality of a police officer’s decision to stop or search an individual. Reasonable suspicion requires specific, …