Reasonable suspicion is defined as which of the following?

Reasonable suspicion is defined as which of the following?

• A. More than a hunch
• B. Less than probable cause
• C. Terry v. Ohio
• D. Many Connecticut cases

Answer: (A)

Reasonable suspicion is a standard that sits between a mere hunch and probable cause. It requires specific facts, observations, or reliable information that would lead a reasonable officer to believe that criminal activity may be afoot. Those facts must be articulable and grounded in the situation, often drawing on training and experience, so the belief can be explained in court. This threshold is what justifies a brief stop and, in appropriate safety contexts, a frisk under the Terry framework. That’s why the description “more than a hunch” best captures the idea: there’s some reasonable basis, not just a guess. The other options don’t define the standard: naming a case isn’t a definition, and saying it’s simply less than probable cause misses the fact that there must be concrete facts to support the stop.

Reasonable suspicion is a standard that sits between a mere hunch and probable cause. It requires specific facts, observations, or reliable information that would lead a reasonable officer to believe that criminal activity may be afoot. Those facts must be articulable and grounded in the situation, often drawing on training and experience, so the belief can be explained in court. This threshold is what justifies a brief stop and, in appropriate safety contexts, a frisk under the Terry framework. That’s why the description “more than a hunch” best captures the idea: there’s some reasonable basis, not just a guess. The other options don’t define the standard: naming a case isn’t a definition, and saying it’s simply less than probable cause misses the fact that there must be concrete facts to support the stop.