What is the difference between probable cause and reasonable suspicion?

Probable cause and reasonable suspicion are two terms often heard in the criminal justice system, and they are both used to describe circumstances that allow law enforcement to take certain steps in an investigation. In Florida, probable cause is a standard used to determine whether or not a person can be arrested or charged with a crime. This standard requires the police to have a more substantial belief that a crime has occurred than just a hunch. In order to meet the necessary requirement for probable cause, the evidence must be strong enough to lead a reasonable person to believe that a crime has been committed by the suspect in question. On the other hand, reasonable suspicion is a lesser standard that allows law enforcement officers to detain someone in order to further investigate a situation. Reasonable suspicion requires law enforcement officers to have a valid and articulable reason to believe that a person may be committing a crime or has committed a crime in the past. In order to meet this standard, the information officers have must be more than just a random hunch and must be based on specific facts. Therefore, the evidence does not need to be as strong as probable cause but must be more than an illogical guess.

Related FAQs

What is the purpose of a criminal complaint?
What is the difference between felony and misdemeanor sentencing?
What are the rights of a suspect during a criminal investigation?
What is the purpose of a grand jury indictment?
What is the purpose of a motion to suppress evidence in criminal cases?
What is the exclusionary rule of the Fourth Amendment?
What is the authority of a police officer in criminal cases?
What is the purpose of a criminal defense lawyer?
What is the difference between criminal negligence and criminal intent?
What are the rules of the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments in criminal cases?

What is the difference between probable cause and reasonable suspicion?

Related FAQs

Related Blog Posts