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In order for a police officer to conduct a Terry Stop, what legal threshold must exist?

a. Reasonable suspicion
b. Probable cause
c. Clear and convincing evidence
d. Beyond a reasonable doubt

User Emerito
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

A police officer needs reasonable suspicion to conduct a Terry Stop, which is a lower legal threshold than probable cause and is based on the Supreme Court ruling in Terry v. Ohio.

Step-by-step explanation:

In order for a police officer to conduct a Terry Stop, the legal threshold that must exist is a. Reasonable suspicion. This is established by the case Terry v. Ohio, where the Supreme Court ruled that police may stop a person if they have reasonable suspicion that the person has committed or is about to commit a crime.

Furthermore, they may frisk the suspect for weapons if there is reasonable suspicion that the suspect is armed and dangerous. This standard is a lower threshold than probable cause, which is required for arrest warrants or most searches without a warrant.

User Brocco
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