Which term describes the standard that justifies a stop or detainment when there are articulable facts suggesting involvement in a crime?

• A. Hunch
• B. Reasonable Articulable Suspicion
• C. Probable Cause
• D. Consent

Answer: (B)

Reasonable Articulable Suspicion is the standard that justifies a stop or detainment when there are articulable facts suggesting involvement in a crime. This means an officer must be able to point to specific, observable reasons—things that can be talked about in court—beyond a mere hunch. The idea comes from the idea of a brief, investigatory stop allowed by Terry v. Ohio, where the stop is limited in scope and duration while the officer checks out the suspicion.

This threshold is higher than a mere gut feeling but lower than probable cause, which is required for an arrest or a full-blown search. The facts must be concrete and explainable to others, not just subjective intuition. Consent, on the other hand, would remove the need for any suspicion because the person voluntarily agrees to the stop or search. A hunch alone isn’t sufficient because it lacks the specific, articulable basis that can justify a temporary detention.