Chapter Three

1
Chapter Three Probable Cause and Reasonable
Suspicion

• Rolando V. del Carmen

2
Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion

• Probable Cause
• Defined
• Brinegar v. United States (1949)
• Man of Reasonable Caution
• United States v. Ortiz (1975)
• Maryland v. Pringle (2003)

3
Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion

• Probable Cause
• Practical Definition- gt50 Certainty
• Definition is the Same for All Areas of Police
  Work
• Arrest of Persons versus Search Seizure of
  Property

4
Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion

• Probable Cause (cont.)
• With a Warrant versus without a Warrant
• Advantages of Obtaining a Warrant
• Determining Probable Cause
• Establishing Probable Cause by What Is Found
  after an Illegal Act
• Whiteley v. Warden (1971)
• United States v. Ventresca (1965)
• What Can Be Used to Establish Probable Cause

5
Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion

• Probable Cause (cont.)
• How Probable Cause Is Established
• United States v. Harris (1971)
• An Officers Own Knowledge of Facts and
  Circumstances
• Sight
• Hearing
• Smell
• Touch
• Taste

6
Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion

• Probable Cause (cont.)
• How Probable Cause Is Established
• Information Given by an Informant
• Informant Engaged in Criminal Activity
• Aguilar v. Texas (1964)
• Spinelli v. United States (1969)
• Two-Pronged Test
• Reliability of the informant
• Reliability of the informants information
• McCray v. Illinois (1967)

7
Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion

• Probable Cause (cont.)
• How Probable Cause Is Established
• Information Given by an Informant Not Engaged in
  Criminal Activity
• The Importance of the Identity of the Informant
• McCray v. Illinois (1967)
• Information given by an ordinary citizen
• Information given by another police officer
• Stale information
• Sgro v. United States (1932)
• United States v. Leon (1984)

8
Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion

• Probable Cause (cont.)
• How Probable Cause Is Established
• Information plus Corroboration
• Probable Cause and Motor Vehicle Passengers

9
Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion

• Reasonable Suspicion
• Defined
• The Totality of Circumstances

10
Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion
Level of Proof 100 Type of
Proceeding

• Absolute certainty
• Guilty beyond a reasonable doubt
• Clear and convincing evidence
• Probable cause
• Preponderance of the evidence
• Reasonable suspicion
• Suspicion
• Reasonable doubt
• Hunch

• Not required in any legal proceeding
• Convict an accused Prove every element of a
  criminal act
• Denial of bail in some states and insanity
  defense in some states
• Issuance of warrant search, seizure, and arrest
  without warrant filing of an indictment
• Winning a civil case affirmative criminal
  defense
• Stop and Frisk by police
• Start a police or grand jury investigation
• Acquit an accused
• Not sufficient in any legal proceeding
• Not sufficient in any legal proceeding

0
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Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion
Probable Cause Reasonable Suspicion Compared Probable Cause Reasonable Suspicion Compared
Legal definition Brinegar v. U.S. No good legal definition given by the Court
Practical definition More likely than not Practical definition lt probable cause, but gt mere suspicion
Sufficient for arrest Sufficient for stop and frisk, but not for arrest
After arrest, officer may search arrested person immediate vicinity After valid stop, officer can frisk suspect if there is fear for officers safety
Sufficient for issuance of warrant Not sufficient for issuance of warrant
12
Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion

• Appealing a Finding of Probable Cause or
  Reasonable Suspicion
• Ornelas et al. v. United States (1996)