What is a legal reason to stop and detain someone?

• A. Consent
• B. Reasonable suspicion
• C. Probability of guilt
• D. Probable cause

Answer: (B)

Reasonable suspicion is the level of justification that allows a brief stop and detain to investigate potential criminal activity. It must be based on specific, articulable facts and reasonable inferences from the total circumstances, not a mere hunch. The stop is limited in time and scope to what’s needed to confirm or dispel the suspicion. Consent would also justify a stop if it’s freely given, but without consent, a stop must rest on reasonable suspicion. Probable cause, by contrast, is the higher standard required for arrest or for conducting a search, not for a brief detention.