California Criminal Investigation Online

A publication of the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office
Executive Editor: Pamela Y. Price, District Attorney

Probable Cause

  1. Principles of Probable Cause and Reasonable Suspicion
  2. Probable Cause: Reliability of Information
  3. Probable Cause to Arrest
  4. Probable Cause to Search

Seizures

  1. Arrests
  2. Arrest Warrants
  3. Post-Arrest Procedure
  4. Investigative Detentions
  5. Special Needs Detentions
  6. Traffic Stops
  7. Investigative Contacts
  8. Citizens’ Arrests

Searches

  1. Bodily Intrusion Searches
  2. Booking Searches
  3. Computer Searches
  4. Consent Searches
  5. Entering Yards and Driveways
  6. Entry to Arrest
  7. Exigent Circumstance Searches
  8. Financial Records Searches
  9. Forcible Entry
  10. Marijuana Searches
  11. Medical Records Searches
  12. Pat Searches
  13. Probation and Parole Searches
  14. Protective Sweeps
  15. Searches by Civilians and Police Agents
  16. Searches Incident to Arrest
  17. Searches on School Grounds
  18. Securing Premises Pending Warrant
  19. Vehicle Searches
  20. Workplace Searches

Search Warrants

  1. Search Warrant Basics
  2. Search Warrant Affidavits
  3. Search Warrant Special Procedures
  4. Executing Search Warrants

Surveillance

  1. Physical Surveillance
  2. Electronic Surveillance

Electronic Communications & Data

  1. Electronic Communications and Records Searches
  2. Wiretaps and Bugs
  3. Monitoring Prisoner Communications

Questioning Suspects

  1. Miranda: When Compulsory
  2. Miranda Waivers
  3. Miranda Invocations
  4. Miranda: Post-Invocation Interrogation
  5. Miranda Suppression Rules
  6. Interrogation
  7. Questioning Accomplices
  8. Questioning Charged Suspects
  9. Surreptitious Questioning of Charged Suspects (Massiah)
  10. Secretly Recording Conversations

Miscellaneous

  1. Lineups and Showups
  2. Plain View
  3. Knock and Talks
  4. Entrapment
  5. Immunity
  6. Gathering, Preserving, and Authenticating Evidence

Suppression Requirements and Exceptions

  1. The Cost-Benefit Analysis
  2. “Standing”
  3. “Fruit of the Poisonous Tree”
  4. Inevitable Discovery and Independent Source

Defense Motions

  1. Motions to Suppress Evidence
  2. Motions to Disclose Informant’s Identity
  3. Motions to Obtain Informant’s Records
  4. Motions to Disclose Surveillance Site Location
  5. Motions to Review Sealed Affidavit (Hobbs)
  6. Motions to Authenticate Information Source (Harvey-Madden)

Appendix

  1. Testifying in Court
  2. Citation Guide