Question

When a pat-down justified by reasonable suspicion turns up contraband that the officer can identify by feeling it, the contraband provides ____________________

A) Probable cause for arrest
B) Exclusionary evidence
C) Miranda rights
D) Immunity from prosecution

Answer 1

If contraband is identified during a pat-down, it provides probable cause for arrest, as it indicates that a crime has likely been committed. The correct option is A.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a pat-down justified by reasonable suspicion turns up contraband that the officer can identify by feeling it, the contraband provides probable cause for arrest. This is because the officer has directly discovered evidence that suggests a crime has likely been committed.

It is important to distinguish this from other legal terms such as Miranda rights, which are related to the procedures that must be followed when someone is taken into custody and questioned, and the exclusionary rule, which governs the inadmissibility of evidence obtained in violation of a defendant's constitutional rights. Probable cause for an arrest is a lower threshold than the proof needed for a conviction and does not grant immunity from prosecution.

Hence, Option A is correct.