Complaints alone are enough evidence to establish probable cause.

• A. True
• B. False (a complaint may contain probable cause if additional information is added to the complaint to cause the judge to believe that this defendant has committed the crime alleged in the complaint)
• C. Only with additional information
• D. It depends on judge

Answer: (B)

Probable cause requires facts that would lead a reasonable person to believe a crime has been committed. A complaint is a sworn statement that names the defendant and describes the alleged offense, but by itself it often lacks enough factual support to meet that standard. For a judge to find probable cause, the facts in the complaint must be believable and may be reinforced by attached affidavits or other information that corroborates the allegations. When additional information is included with the complaint, it can provide the necessary evidence to convince a judge that the defendant likely committed the crime. So complaints alone are not automatically enough; they may be enough if they are supplemented with sufficient information that establishes probable cause.