Criminal Procedure

Probable Cause Defined

probable cause exists when the totality of the circumstances known to the officer would warrant a person of reasonable caution to believe that an individual has engaged in, is engaged in, or will engage in criminal activity, or that contraband or evidence of a crime is present.

Reasonable Suspicion Standard

A less exacting standard than probable cause, reasonable suspicion requires specific, articulable facts that, taken together with rational inferences, warrant a reasonable belief that a person is committing, has committed, or is about to commit an offense. Reasonable suspicion is sufficient to justify a seizure in the form of a brief investigatory traffic stop

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