ARREST, SEARCH, AND
SEIZURE/CONSTITUTIONAL LAW
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH
SOLUTIONS 2024
ThreeASourcesAofALawA-AANSWERAConstitutionalAlaw,AStatutoryAlaw,ACommonAlaw
ConstitutionalALawA-AANSWERASupremeALawAofAtheALand,AMadeAfromAconstitution
StatutoryALawA-AANSWERAComesAfromAstatues,AOrdinances
StateAhowAtheAFirstAAmendmentAaffectsAtheAlawAenforcementAfunction.A-
AANSWERAOfficersAareArestrictedAinAspeech-relatedAactivities,Aexample:ApoliticalApostsAonAsocialAmedia
StateAtheAcriminalAandAcivilAconsequencesAlawAenforcementAofficersAmayAfaceAasAitArelatesAtoAviolatingAaAc
itizen'sAconstitutionalArights.A-
AANSWERACriminalAorACivilAlawsuit,AsuppressionAofAevidenceArecovered,AdepartmentAdiscipline
SubjectAMatterAJurisdictionA-
AANSWERArefersAtoAtheAtypesAofAcrimesAforAwhichAofficersAareAauthorizedAtoAarrest.
TerritorialAJurisdictionA-
AANSWERARefersAtoAtheAgeographicalAareaAinAwhichAaAlawAenforcementAofficeAisAempoweredAtoAact
IdentifyAhowAlawAenforcementAauthorityAisAaffectedAbyAsubjectAmatterAandAterritorialAjurisdiction.A-
AANSWERALawAenforcementAauthorityAisAaffectedAbyAsubjectAmatterAinAwhichAwhatAcrimesAtheyAareApermi
ttedAtoAarrestAfor.
LawAenforcementAauthorityAisAaffectedAbyAterritorialAinAtheAgeographicalAareaAtheyAareApermittedAtoAarres
tAin.
, ReasonableASuspicionA-
AANSWERAMustAbeAbasedAonAarticulateAfacts,AmoreAthanAaAhunchAbutAlessAthanAprobableAcause,AneedArea
sonableAsuspicionAtoAdetain
ProbableACauseA-
AANSWERARequiresAshowingAthatAaAcrimeAwasAcommittedAandAthatAtheAsuspectAprobablyAcommittedAIt,An
eedAprobableAcauseAtoAarrestAandAsearch
WhatAisAtheAGeneralAStatueAforAmakingAaAwarrantlessAarrestA-AANSWERAG.S.A15A-401
WhatAisAtheAGeneralAStatueAforAaAcitizenAdetentionA-AANSWERAG.S.A15A-404
WhatAisAtheAgeneralAstatueAforAassistanceAtoAenforcementAofficersAbyAprivateApersonsAtoAeffectAarrestAorAp
reventAescape.A-AANSWERAG.S.A15A-405
StateAtheAroleAofAlawAenforcementAasAitArelatesAtoAtheAissuanceAofAvariousAformsAofAcriminalAprocess.A-
AANSWERAOfficersAusuallyAappearAbeforeAtheAmagistrateAtoApresentAunderAoathAtheAfactsAwhichAjustifyAth
eAissuanceAofAtheAwarrantAorAotherAprocess.ATheAmagistrateAhasAtoAmakeAanAindependentAjudgmentAtoAw
hetherAorAnotAthereAisAprobablyAcauseAtoAissueAtheAwarrantAtheAofficerAisArequesting.
VoluntaryAContactA-
AANSWERAWhenAanyApersonsAisAtalkingAtoApoliceAbutAtheAfourthAamendmentAisAnotAimplicated
InvestigativeAStopA-
AANSWERATerryAestablishedAthatAwhenAanAofficerAdevelopsAreasonableAsuspicionAtoAbelieveAcriminalAactivi
tyAisAafoot,AheAcanAconductAaAbriefAinvestigativeAstop.
HowAlongAshouldAaAinvestigativeAstop/detentionAlastAfor?A-AANSWERA20AMinutes
ArrestA-
AANSWERAAnAarrestAisAaAmoreAintrusiveAseizureAonAaAcitizen'sAlibertyAthanAdetention;AthereforeAmoreApro
ofAisArequiredAtoAjustifyAanAarrestA(probableAcause).