What Police Actions Require Probable Cause

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1. Please define probable cause. What police actions require probable cause?
Probable cause, which is relatively similar, and is often times confused with reasonable suspicion is found in the fourteenth amendment. Probable cause must be found before an arrest, search, or seizure can be conducted. It’s in the best interest of any officer to make sure they always have probable cause before they search, seize, or arrest someone. The reason being is because if any officer pursues to arrest, search, or seize someone without probable cause, the case will usually be thrown out, and under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983, a person can sue for violation of their constitutional rights. Probable cause can turn into an arrest when the officer is capable of using his knowledge to determine whether someone committed a crime or is about to commit a crime. Probable cause must be based on facts, and not simply suspicion, there has to be a substantial amount of evidence present in order to search, seize, or arrest someone. Several actions are required regarding officers and probable cause. For instance, an officer lawfully pulls someone over because the driver was swerving lanes, the officer approaches the vehicle, and smells liquor within the vehicle or on the driver’s breath, the …show more content…
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