Probable Cause Research Paper

An officer must first obtain a warrant to make an arrest for a minor offense he did not personally witness. This is known as the in-presence requirement. If conducting a search in a private home or on certain types of private property officers must have a warrant. One of the requirements needed to obtain a warrant is probable cause. Probable cause is present when there is a reasonable belief, based on facts that a crime has been or is being committed. The police must provide enough factual information to convince a judge to issue a warrant. This information can come from different sources. An officer’s firsthand knowledge, police informants, anonymous tips and telephone tips are some acceptable sources. Whatever the source, the information