ABSTRACT
For purposes of day-to-day policing, probable cause is present if an officer has trustworthy evidence or information sufficient to make a “reasonable person” believe it is more likely than not that the proposed arrest or search is justified. Although never specifically stated in Supreme Court cases, in mathematical terms, probable cause exists if there is more than 50 percent certainty that the suspect has committed an offense or that the items sought can be found in a certain place.
