Page 41 - North Carolina 2020 Legal Guide
P. 41

Task: Arrest in a Public Place






          U.S. v. Watson, 423 U.S. 411 (1976).

               A police officer who has probable cause to believe that a citizen has

               committed a felony may take that citizen into custody without a

               warrant when the citizen is located in a public place.





          • For Constitutional purposes, no distinction has been made with

               respect to arrest for misdemeanors in a public place.


          • Warning: The arrest laws of most states place statutory limits on the

               power of police officers in making misdemeanor arrests.
















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