Ch 2 Legal Aspects Of Investigation Flashcards
Three essential ingredients to an arrest :
Intention
Authority
Custody
Criminal law is divided into two major components :
Substantive Criminal Law - deals with the elements describe and define a crime.
Procedural Criminal Law - understanding what and how things need to be done with the people involved in an investigation be it a victim, informant, or suspect. Changes more often than substantive. Deals with process of arrest, search/seizure, interrogation, confessions, admissibility of evidence, and testifying in court.
Detention :
Temporary and limited interference with the freedom of a person for investigative purposes.
Arrest Warrant :
Judicial order commanding the person to whom it is issued or some other person to arrest a particular individual and to bring that person promptly before a court to answer a criminal charge.
Affidavit :
Written statement of the information known to the officer that serves as the basis for the issuance of the warrant.
Herring V. United States:
Involved a warrant issued on erroneous information that the police did not know was in error.
Probable Cause :
More than suspicion, but less than actual knowledge. It is suspicion plus facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable person exercising ordinary caution to believe that a crime has been, is being, or about to be committed.
Legal searches and seizures can be made :
- when a warrant has been issued
- with consent
- incident to arrest
- of a motor vehicle
- when an emergency exists (exigent circumstances)
- to conduct an inventory
Search warrant :
Written order in the name of the state signed by a judicial officer, exercising proper authority and directing a law enforcement officer to search for certain specific property and bring it before the court.
Important factor of consent search :
The crux of consent search is that it must be voluntarily given. Cannot be based on intimidation or threats.
Fruits of the poisonous tree :
If evidence is seized illegally, any evidence from that point is tainted and is inadmissible.