Opinion ID: 2634763
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Determining probable cause.

Text: We have long held that the standard for determining probable cause is a practical and nontechnical concept, which involves a balancing of the citizens' right to be free from unreasonable interference with privacy and from unfounded charges of crime, and the needs of the community to be protected by law enforcement: [T]he long-prevailing standards on probable cause: ... seek to safeguard citizens from rash and unreasonable interferences with privacy and from unfounded charges of crime. They also seek to give fair leeway for enforcing the law in the community's protection. Because many situations which confront officers in the course of executing their duties are more or less ambiguous, room must be allowed for some mistakes on their part. But the mistakes must be those of reasonable men, acting on facts leading sensibly to their conclusions of probability. The rule of probable cause is a practical, nontechnical conception affording the best compromise that has been found for accommodating these often opposing interests. Requiring more would unduly hamper law enforcement. To allow less would be to leave law-abiding citizens at the mercy of the officers' whim or caprice. State v. Delmondo, 54 Haw. 552, 555, 512 P.2d 551, 553 (1973) (quoting Brinegar v. United States, 338 U.S. 160, 176, 69 S.Ct. 1302, 93 L.Ed. 1879 (1949)). See also State v. Texeira, 50 Haw. 138, 143, 433 P.2d 593, 597 (1967) (The rule of probable cause is a practical, nontechnical conception affording the best compromise that has been found for accommodating these often opposing interests.). We believe that the probable cause standard of requiring more than a mere suspicion but less than a certainty provides the flexibility necessary in determining probable cause, and preserves the necessary balance between the competing interests of law-abiding citizens and law enforcement. The ICA's attempt to water down the probable cause standard would unreasonably disturb this balance. We expressly reject the ICA's formulation, and reconfirm that probable cause for arrest requires more than a mere suspicion, but less than a certainty. Accordingly, we vacate Section III.A. of the ICA's Opinion to the extent that it improperly narrows the probable cause standard as expressed by this court.