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What is
Probable Cause?
In United States criminal law, probable cause refers to the
standard by which a police officer has the right to
make an arrest, conduct a personal or property
search, or to obtain an arrest warrant.
It is also used to refer to the standard
to which a grand jury believes that a crime has been committed. This
term comes from the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution:
The right
of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and
effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be
violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause,
supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the
place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
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