• Law
College

The minimum suspicion to justify a warrantless search of a motor vehicle is:

1) Reasonable suspicion
2) Preponderance of the evidence
3) Clear and convincing evidence
4) Probable cause

Answer :

The correct answer is 4) Probable cause. The minimum suspicion required to justify a warrantless search of a motor vehicle is probable cause, which means sufficient information exists to reasonably believe a crime has been committed or evidence will be found.

The minimum suspicion required to justify a warrantless search of a motor vehicle is probable cause. This is a legal threshold lower than reasonable suspicion, preponderance of the evidence, or clear and convincing evidence. Probable cause means that there is sufficient information for a reasonable person to believe that a crime has been committed or that evidence related to a crime will be found in the vehicle.

This standard applies to many situations involving warrantless searches, including vehicles and during exigent circumstances where there is an immediate risk of evidence being destroyed. The correct answer is 4) Probable cause.