Which term describes a set of facts sufficient to justify a belief that a person has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a criminal act, based on probable cause?

Which term describes a set of facts sufficient to justify a belief that a person has committed, is committing, or is about to commit a criminal act, based on probable cause?

• A. Reasonable Suspicion
• B. Actual Cause
• C. Probable Cause
• D. Precedent

Answer: (C)

The standard being tested is probable cause: it refers to the set of facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable person to believe that a crime has been committed, is being committed, or is about to be committed. It sits between a mere hunch and proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and is the level used to justify arrests and to obtain warrants. It must be based on the totality of the circumstances, not a single fact. Reasonable suspicion is a lower threshold used to justify brief investigatory stops, not full arrests. Actual cause is not the relevant criminal-law standard here (it speaks to causation). Precedent is about prior court decisions guiding future rulings, not about belief that a crime is or will be committed.

The standard being tested is probable cause: it refers to the set of facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable person to believe that a crime has been committed, is being committed, or is about to be committed. It sits between a mere hunch and proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and is the level used to justify arrests and to obtain warrants. It must be based on the totality of the circumstances, not a single fact.

Reasonable suspicion is a lower threshold used to justify brief investigatory stops, not full arrests. Actual cause is not the relevant criminal-law standard here (it speaks to causation). Precedent is about prior court decisions guiding future rulings, not about belief that a crime is or will be committed.