Which term is defined as a court order authorizing a search based on probable cause?

• A. Probable Cause
• B. Showup
• C. Silver Platter Doctrine
• D. Stop and Frisk

Answer: (C)

A court order authorizing a search based on probable cause is called a search warrant. This document is issued by a judge or magistrate when there’s enough probable cause to believe that evidence of a crime will be found in a specific place. It specifies the location to be searched, the items to be seized, and is to be executed within a limited time frame. Probable cause means there’s a reasonable belief, based on facts and circumstances, that evidence connected to a crime will be found there. The other terms refer to different police actions or doctrines: a showup is an identification procedure with a single suspect; stop and frisk is a brief detention with a pat-down for weapons; the Silver Platter Doctrine concerns the admissibility of evidence obtained illegally, not the mechanism to authorize a search.