This is a Complaint pleading for use in litigation of the title matter. Adapt this form to comply with your facts and circumstances, and with your specific state law. Not recommended for use by non-attorneys.
This is a Complaint pleading for use in litigation of the title matter. Adapt this form to comply with your facts and circumstances, and with your specific state law. Not recommended for use by non-attorneys.
For example, the officer may have been called to a store after reports of a shopper acting suspiciously. If the accused is threatening to rob the store or is in clear possession of a firearm, this would give the officer the required probable cause to make an arrest.
There are four categories into which evidence may fall in establishing probable cause. These include observational, circumstantial, expertise, and information: Observational evidence is based on what the officer sees, smells, or hears.
Some courts and scholars have suggested probable cause could, in some circumstances, allow for a fact to be established as true to a standard of less than 51%, but as of August 2019, the United States Supreme Court has never ruled that the quantification of probable cause is anything less than 51%.
In short, probable cause is an inference on the part of the authorities based on facts and circumstances that point to a crime having been or being committed.
If evidence is obtained without a valid search warrant, and no exception to the warrant requirement applies, the evidence may be subject to the exclusionary rule. The exclusionary rule prevents illegally obtained evidence from being admitted in a court of law.
Hot pursuit: Officers can arrest and search individuals who are suspected of committing a felony. For the pursuit, officers can enter any property to search and seize evidence without warrants.
If there is a reasonable expectation of privacy and there is not probable cause, a search warrant is required. However, if probable cause does occur, such as a suspect runs away, a gunshot is heard from another room in a home, or even when an individual makes a sudden movement, a search becomes legal without a warrant.
For example, if a crime is committed in an officer's presence or if there are circumstances like a risk of evidence destruction, an arrest can be made without a warrant. These exceptions are rooted in the need for immediate law enforcement action to prevent harm or secure justice.
IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A WARRANT, CRIMINAL OR OTHERWISE, YOU MUST SHOW UP IN-PERSON AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE DOES NOT GIVE OUT WARRANT INFORMATION OVER THE PHONE. Sheriff's Warrant Office Local & Nationwide for Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice Agencies ONLY obtaining warrant information.