The following excerpt is from U.S. v. Price, 12 F.3d 1110 (9th Cir. 1993):
Probable cause exists when, under the totality of circumstances known to an arresting officer, a prudent person would have concluded that there was a fair probability that a defendant had committed a crime. United States v. Garza, 980 F.2d 546, 550 (9th Cir.1992). Moreover, an arresting officer need not have personal knowledge of the facts sufficient to constitute probable cause. Id. "Probable cause may be based on the collective knowledge of all of the officers involved in the investigation and all of the reasonable inferences that may be drawn therefrom." Id.
The above passage should not be considered legal advice. Reliable answers to complex legal questions require comprehensive research memos. To learn more visit www.alexi.com.