Which legal doctrine allows for warrantless arrests for misdemeanors?

The legal doctrine that allows for warrantless arrests for misdemeanors is rooted in the landmark Supreme Court case Atwater v. Lago Vista. In this ruling, the Court held that a police officer may arrest a person without a warrant for a minor misdemeanor offense, such as driving without a seatbelt, even if the offense is not a breach of the peace and even if the officer does not have probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed.

The significance of this ruling lies in its affirmation of a law enforcement officer’s discretion to perform warrantless arrests in the interest of maintaining public safety, allowing officers to take immediate action rather than requiring them to seek a warrant. The case emphasizes that the Fourth Amendment does not bar warrantless arrests for misdemeanors when an officer has probable cause to believe that the individual committed the offense in their presence.

Probable cause and reasonable suspicion are essential legal standards in law enforcement but do not directly address the circumstances under which police may make warrantless arrests for misdemeanors. Exigent circumstances typically refer to situations where law enforcement can act without a warrant due to an immediate threat, but these are separate from the implications laid out in Atwater v. Lago Vista. Thus, the correct answer focuses on the case that