What level of suspicion is needed for a lawful arrest?

The correct answer is based on the legal standard required for a lawful arrest, which is probable cause. Probable cause exists when law enforcement has enough reliable information or evidence to believe that a person has committed a crime or is in the process of committing a crime. This standard is higher than reasonable suspicion, which is only sufficient for temporary stops and investigative detentions.

Probable cause is a crucial threshold because it protects individuals from being arrested arbitrarily or without sufficient justification. A police officer must be able to articulate the facts and circumstances that lead them to conclude that there is a fair probability that a crime has been committed and that the person arrested is involved.

In legal contexts, the other standards—such as reasonable suspicion, preponderance of evidence, and clear and convincing evidence—serve different purposes. Reasonable suspicion is used for stops and frisks but does not meet the threshold for an arrest. Preponderance of evidence is typically the standard used in civil cases to determine the more likely scenario, while clear and convincing evidence is a stronger standard used in specific civil cases, like certain family law matters. Therefore, the requirement for an arrest to be lawful is grounded in the necessity of probable cause.