Probable cause to search or arrest must show?

• A. The facts and circumstances within the officer's knowledge are sufficient to warrant a belief that a crime is being committed.
• B. The suspect confesses.
• C. The evidence is tangible.
• D. The officer has a hunch.

Answer: (A)

Probable cause is an objective standard, requiring that the facts and circumstances known to the officer would lead a reasonable person to believe that a crime is being committed and that the person in question is involved. It relies on the totality of the circumstances at the time, not on a single clue or a gut feeling. A confession can contribute to probable cause for an arrest, but a hunch is not enough, and merely having tangible evidence by itself does not define the standard. In short, what justifies a search or an arrest is the overall reasonable belief grounded in the information available to the officer.