Opinion ID: 2402203
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Tolson's Arrest Probable Cause Established

Text: Delaware law enforcement officers have statutory authority to make a warrantless arrest when a crime has been committed in their presence, or where they have reasonable ground to believe that the person to be arrested has committed a felony, whether or not a felony has in fact been committed. [3] A reasonable ground to believe must be more than mere suspicion and this Court has construed it to mean probable cause. [4] Probable cause is a practical, non-technical concept that must be measured by the totality of the circumstances. [5] Probable cause exists where `the facts and circumstances within their [the arresting officers'] knowledge and of which they had reasonably trustworthy information [are] sufficient in themselves to warrant a [person] of reasonable caution in the belief that' an offense has been or is being committed. [6] The first question presented in this appeal is whether the officers' reliance on the informant's information was justified and sufficient to establish probable cause. Information provided by an informant may constitute probable cause for a warrantless arrest where the totality of the circumstances, indicates that the information is reliable. [7] In measuring the totality of the circumstances when an informant's tip is involved, this Court considers the reliability of the informant, the details contained in the informant's tip, and the degree to which the tip is corroborated by independent police surveillance and information. [8] If the informant's tip can be corroborated, the tip may establish probable cause, even where nothing is known about the informant's credibility. [9] In this case, the record reflects that, under the totality of the circumstances, there was probable cause for the arrest of Tolson based upon the information provided by Allen. Although Allen was a new informant and there was nothing known about his credibility, there was adequate corroborating evidence to establish probable cause. Specifically, Allen was able to predict details of Tolson's behavior that supported the conclusion that Allen was truthful. Tolson appeared at the Holiday Inn Express in accordance with Allen's telephone instructions. Allen accurately predicted that Tolson would arrive as a passenger in a car. Allen correctly stated that Tolson would park elsewhere and then walk to the designated meeting place. Tolson conformed to all the instructions and predictions provided by Allen. This evidence sufficiently corroborates Allen's assertion that he could buy drugs from Tolson. Accordingly, probable cause existed for Tolson's arrest, which then provided probable cause for the subsequent issuance of a search warrant for the Skylark. Therefore, the Superior Court properly admitted into evidence the drugs and money seized during Tolson's arrest, as well as the evidence found during the execution of the warrant to search the Buick Skylark.