Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion

Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion
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The field of law enforcement is governed by certain constitutional and hence legal doctrines that help to ensure the field is run efficiently. It is important to understand the various doctrines and terminologies used in this field, since they might be very crucial whenever a court case or lawsuit arises. Mastery of them also ensures that law enforcement officers are able to work within certain confines of the law. Reasonable suspicion and probable cause are two of the most commonly used terms when it comes to law enforcement. Although they might appear similar, these two terms have distinct differences which can be quite crucial when it comes to legal interpretation.
Reasonable suspicion is the rational likelihood that a felony has been, is about to be, or is being committed. It is often primarily a function of an officer’s instincts, training as well as experience to effectively determine that there is reasonable suspicion. Also, the behavior of the suspect can also give away such suspicions, which might thereby prompt the law enforcement officer to decide to take a look. If it is a car, they might be compelled to perform a search just to clear out their doubts. As it can be seen, reasonable suspicion is generally based on a hunch by the officer. Police officers have always been on the receiving end of racially motivated stops, but the bottom-line is that they are mandated by the law to make such stops in instances of reasonable suspicion.