Probable cause

1. The basis for all lawful searches, seizures and arrests. 2. A reasonable belief that a crime has or is being committed.

An amount of suspicion leading one to believe certain facts are probably true. The Fourth Amendment requires probable cause for the issuance of an arrest or search warrant.

A strong belief, based on facts, that a crime has been committed, that a particular person has committed the crime and that evidence related to the crime exists.

The legal standard defining the amount of evidence or information needed to justify a search or an arrest. The Fourth Amendment requires that arrests and searches made by law enforcement officers be justified by probable cause. An arresting officer has probable cause for an arrest only if there is enough reliable information or evidence to support the officer's reasonable belief that a crime has been committed and that the defendant committed it.