What must law enforcement do to establish probable cause during arrests?

To establish probable cause during arrests, law enforcement must collect evidence that leads a reasonable person to believe that a crime has been committed. This standard is crucial because probable cause is the legal threshold that allows officers to make an arrest or conduct a search. It means there must be enough facts or circumstances present that a reasonable, cautious person would feel justified in believing that a crime has occurred.

This standard is distinct from requiring absolute certainty of a suspect's guilt, which is necessary for a conviction in court (beyond a reasonable doubt). Gatherings of evidence based solely on officer intuition do not suffice, as intuition alone does not meet the legal requirements for probable cause; there must be specific facts or observable behaviors that contribute to the belief involving a crime. While providing a detailed explanation of suspicious behavior to a judge demonstrates the officer's reasoning, it is the collection of tangible evidence that solidifies the basis for probable cause.