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Police and Law Enforcement

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Police and Law Enforcement In the United States criminal law, probable cause is the standard by which an officer or agent of the law has the grounds to make an arrest, to conduct a personal or property search, or to obtain a warrant for an arrest, when criminal charges are being considered. It is also refers to the standards which a grand jury believes that a crime has been committed. The term comes from the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution. In the criminal arena probable cause is important in two respects. First, police must possess probable cause before they may search a person or a person’s property, and they must possess it before they may arrest a person. Second, in most criminal cases the court must find that probable cause exists to believe that the defendant committed the crime before the defendant may be prosecuted. There are some exceptions to these general rules. Police may briefly detain and conduct a limited search of a person in a public place if they have a reasonable suspicion that the person has committed a crime. Reasonable suspicion is a level of belief that is less than probable cause. The requirement of probable cause for a search and seizure can be found in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Probable cause can exist even when there is some doubt as to the person’s guilt. Courts take care to review the actions of police in the context of everyday life, balancing the interests of law enforcement against the interest of personal liberty determining whether probable cause existed for a search or arrest. Legislatures may maintain statutes relating to probable cause. The police officer and law enforcement role in society today is to protect, honor and serve the public. The police officers responsibility is to solve crimes, protect the lives and the property of American citizens. Conditions are

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