What is the difference between probable cause and reasonable suspicion?

Probable cause and reasonable suspicion are two very important concepts related to criminal procedure in Arizona. Probable cause is a legal standard which allows law enforcement officers to arrest a person if there is enough evidence to believe that the person has committed a crime. In other words, if the police have probable cause that a person has committed a crime, they can make an arrest. Reasonable suspicion is a lesser standard of proof used to justify certain police actions, such as a search or stop. The police must have some facts that would lead a reasonable person to believe that a crime had been committed or was about to be committed in order to act upon reasonable suspicion. It is important to note that reasonable suspicion is not as strong as probable cause. In summary, probable cause is the legal standard which allows the police to make an arrest and reasonable suspicion is the lesser requirement needed to justify other police actions, like a search or stop. Probable cause is a higher standard than reasonable suspicion.

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What is the difference between probable cause and reasonable suspicion?

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