Chapter 3 - The issue of defining the term probable cause

Chapter 3

Questions

1. This chapter of the text opens with the issue of defining the term probable cause. The term is a difficult one to define and has been addressed by a number of United States Supreme Court cases. Discuss the different cases that address the definition of probable cause and their impact on policing.
2. In United States v. Leon (1984) the Court held that five-month-old information from an informant is "stale" and cannot be used to establish probable cause. In the same case the Court stated that the issue of staleness "must be determined by the circumstances of each case." Discuss situations in which evidence would not be "stale" even for a considerable length of time.