Page 41 - Original 2020 Legal Guide By Jack Ryan
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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.
©2020 Jack Ryan Legal & Liability Risk Management Institute 40