Which case shows that hot pursuit may justify entering a home to arrest if probable cause exists?

Which case shows that hot pursuit may justify entering a home to arrest if probable cause exists?

• A. United States v. Santana
• B. Hubbard v. Commonwealth
• C. Mincey v. Arizona
• D. Verez v. Commonwealth

Answer: (A)

Hot pursuit lets police enter a dwelling without a warrant when there is probable cause to believe a suspect is inside and the pursuit is immediate, so delaying to obtain a warrant could allow the suspect to escape or pose a danger. United States v. Santana illustrates this idea in a doorway scenario: officers had probable cause to arrest Santana for a crime and, because she stood at the threshold of her home, they could enter without a warrant to prevent her escape. The case shows that the pursuit is so urgent that waiting for a warrant would defeat the purpose of arresting a suspect who is about to flee into the residence. The other cases don’t establish that doorway hot-pursuit scenario. They deal with different aspects of exigent circumstances or the limits of warrantless entry, so they don’t authorize entering a home to arrest in the same way Santana does. Thus, United States v. Santana is the one that confirms hot pursuit can justify entering a home to arrest with probable cause.

Hot pursuit lets police enter a dwelling without a warrant when there is probable cause to believe a suspect is inside and the pursuit is immediate, so delaying to obtain a warrant could allow the suspect to escape or pose a danger. United States v. Santana illustrates this idea in a doorway scenario: officers had probable cause to arrest Santana for a crime and, because she stood at the threshold of her home, they could enter without a warrant to prevent her escape. The case shows that the pursuit is so urgent that waiting for a warrant would defeat the purpose of arresting a suspect who is about to flee into the residence.

The other cases don’t establish that doorway hot-pursuit scenario. They deal with different aspects of exigent circumstances or the limits of warrantless entry, so they don’t authorize entering a home to arrest in the same way Santana does. Thus, United States v. Santana is the one that confirms hot pursuit can justify entering a home to arrest with probable cause.