What is the legal standard for a police officer to make an arrest in Utah?

In Utah, as in many other jurisdictions, the legal standard for a police officer to make an arrest is "probable cause." This standard requires that the officer has sufficient facts and circumstances known to them to warrant a belief that a crime has been committed by the person they intend to arrest.

Probable cause does not require the same level of certainty as "beyond a reasonable doubt," which is the standard used in criminal trials for conviction. Instead, it hinges on whether a reasonable person, knowing the facts that the officer knows, would believe that the suspect has committed a crime. This threshold ensures that officers can act on reliable and articulable facts without necessitating the higher burden of proof reserved for courtroom settings.

The other standards mentioned do not apply in this situation. "Reasonable suspicion" is a lower threshold often used for stops and investigative detentions but is not sufficient for an arrest. "Preponderance of the evidence" is generally a civil standard whereby one side must prove that something is more likely true than not, which is also not applicable to making an arrest. Thus, the correct understanding of "probable cause" is crucial for law enforcement officers when determining the legality of an arrest in Utah.