Probable Cause: Law enforcement must have a reasonable belief, based on facts, that a crime has been committed. The search warrant affidavit supports a probable cause determination that the gun used in the murder is located in the suspect's residence in Halifax, Virginia.Your Fourth Amendment rights may have been violated if evidence was collected against you without a warrant or probable cause. The Fourth Amendment requires the government to obtain a warrant based on probable cause to conduct a legal search and seizure. Virginia law requires police officers to have probable cause that you violated the law before taking you into police custody. The Court found that the mere existence of a weapon, without more, does not automatically equate to probable cause to seize it pursuant to the Fourth Amendment. The Fourth Amendment can also be invoked whether or not there was probable cause to stop you and make the arrest. Probable cause is present when the police officer has a reasonable belief in the guilt of the suspect based on the facts and information prior to the arrest. The Fourth Amendment is essentially a safeguard from arbitrary governmental intrusions into a person's life. A police officer must fill out an affidavit and present it to a neutral judge or magistrate to obtain a warrant.