Colorado Supreme Court · 2018
People v. Bailey
A dog's change in behavior — head snap, faster breathing, going under the car — counts toward probable cause even if the dog never gives its trained final indication. It counts as part of the totality, not as a standalone key.
427 P.3d 821; 2018 CO 84 (Colo. 2018)
Find the opinion for People v. BaileyColorado Supreme Court · 2019
People v. Threlkel
You do not need every fact in your own head, and you do not need to rule out innocent explanations. If the investigative team collectively has reasonable suspicion and you are acting on its direction or communications, your stop holds — and a bad stop still cannot erase what you observed before it.
438 P.3d 722; 2019 CO 18 (Colo. 2019)
Find the opinion for People v. ThrelkelColorado Supreme Court · 2011
People v. Castaneda
Probable cause is built from the objective facts available to you at the moment of arrest, plus common-sense inferences. The suspect's alternative story does not cancel it, and a court is not required to view every inference in the defendant's favor.
249 P.3d 1119 (Colo. 2011)
Find the opinion for People v. CastanedaEach summary was checked against the court’s majority opinion on September 30, 2026. Read the decision and follow your agency’s policy; this is reference guidance, not legal advice.