Q: What does “PROB CAUSE” mean when referring to the severity of charges?
Case/Count Description of Charge Charged By Reason for Arrest Severity of Charge State of Charge Bail Information Court Appearance Date/Time Court Appearance Location
1/1 THEFT-MOTOR VEHICLE ST. ANTHONY PD PROBABLE CAUSE PROB CAUSE $0
HOLD W/O BAIL ..
A: That looks like an excerpt from a jail roster. A person held in jail must be there either under a court Order (i.e., an arrest warrant), or a "probable cause hold." The laws give police officer limited authority to check someone into jail with a court order, upon their representation of "probable cause" to believe the person committed a crime. "Probable cause" is a legal term of art that means somewhat different things depending upon context. In this context, it means the police officer claims to have evidence that the person committed the crime noted. On a jail roster, "probable cause" usually means the person hasn't been charged yet. The term does not refer to severity of charges. Rather, it normally means no prosecutor has yet filed any charges.
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