Home      Login


University Police Must Ensure That They Have Probable Cause Before Making Arrests—and Colleges Need Probable Cause Before Turning Information Over to Law Enforcement  


Author:  Ralph Gerstein.; Lois Gerstein.


Source: Volume 17, Number 01, Fall 2015 , pp.5-9(5)




Campus Safety & Student Development

< previous article |next article > |return to table of contents

Abstract: 

This article examines several court cases in which university police officers made arrests that were subsequently the subjects of false arrest claims, and in which the decisions hinged on the “probable cause” standard. In reviewing the facts and rulings here, our editors provide practical guidance for establishing probable cause, preventing minor disputes from escalating, and exercising judgment consistent with established law in dealing with incidents on and off campus involving students, faculty and staff, alumni, and visitors.

Keywords: Savoy v. University of Akron; Brown v. Christian Brothers University; Bostic v. Rodriguez; Hodge v. East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office; Saha v. Lehman

Affiliations:  1: Journal Editor; 2: Journal Editor.

Subscribers click here to open full text in PDF.
Non-subscribers click here to purchase this article. $20

< previous article |next article > |return to table of contents