Arrests take a person into custody for purposes of charging them with a crime based on what?

• A. An arrest is the same as an investigatory stop.
• B. An arrest requires no evidence.
• C. Arrests take a person into custody for purposes of charging them with a crime based on probable cause.
• D. An arrest can occur on mere suspicion.

Answer: (C)

Arrests are justified by probable cause: a reasonable belief, based on facts and circumstances known at the time, that the person has committed a crime. This standard is higher than mere suspicion and is the threshold that allows taking someone into custody for charging them, with or without a warrant. Investigatory stops require only reasonable suspicion, which is weaker and does not authorize an arrest. So the correct concept is that an arrest hinges on probable cause.