Arrest Without Probable Cause In Palm Beach
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United States (1949), the Supreme Court defined probable cause as “where the facts and the circumstances within the officers' knowledge, and of which they have reasonably trustworthy information, are sufficient, in themselves, to warrant a belief, by a man of reasonable caution, that a crime is being committed.”
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.
The presentation of any of these facts would allow an officer to perform a search and make an arrest. Be aware that minor traffic violations (e.g. speeding, broken tail-light, or expired registration) are not considered probable cause.
Probable cause is not defined in Florida, but is generally understood to mean that the evidence is more likely than not that the person committed the crime. The evidence can come in the form of an affidavit, complaint or deposition of a law enforcement officer.
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%.
we are concerned only with the question whether the affiant had reasonable grounds at the time of his affidavit . . . for the belief that the law was being violated on the premises to be searched; and if the apparent facts set out in the affidavit are such that a reasonably discreet and prudent man would be led to ...
One instance where a lack of Probable Cause may arise is in prosecutions for Driving Under the Influence pursuant to California Vehicle Code Section 23152(a) VC and California Vehicle Code Section 23152(b) VC. Law enforcement is always on heightened alert for impaired drivers, especially at certain times and locations.
A search incident to arrest may only be conducted when two (2) requirements have been met. First, there must have been a lawful custodial arrest. At a minimum, this requires that (1) probable cause exist to believe that the arrestee has committed a crime and (2) an arrest is actually made.
