Which statement about an anticipatory warrant is true?

Which statement about an anticipatory warrant is true?

• A. It is based on probable cause to believe evidence will be found in the future
• B. It is identical to a standard warrant
• C. It requires no probable cause
• D. It cannot be used in Tennessee

Answer: (A)

An anticipatory warrant rests on probable cause that evidence will be located at a certain place once a specified future event happens. The key idea is that the warrant is tied to a triggering condition, and only when that condition occurs can the search be conducted and the evidence seized. This allows investigators to obtain a warrant for the seizure of items that would not be present at the time of issuance unless the anticipated event takes place. Why this is the best answer: it captures the essential requirement of an anticipatory warrant—that probable cause concerns evidence to be found in the future, contingent on the triggering event. The warrant itself must specify what will trigger the search and what will be seized, and execution occurs only when the condition is satisfied. Why other options don’t fit: an anticipatory warrant is not identical to a standard warrant; it hinges on a future event rather than current presence of evidence, yet it still requires probable cause targeting that future scenario. It does not dispense with probable cause, so saying it requires no probable cause is incorrect. And these warrants are used in Tennessee as in other jurisdictions, so stating it cannot be used there is false.

An anticipatory warrant rests on probable cause that evidence will be located at a certain place once a specified future event happens. The key idea is that the warrant is tied to a triggering condition, and only when that condition occurs can the search be conducted and the evidence seized. This allows investigators to obtain a warrant for the seizure of items that would not be present at the time of issuance unless the anticipated event takes place.

Why this is the best answer: it captures the essential requirement of an anticipatory warrant—that probable cause concerns evidence to be found in the future, contingent on the triggering event. The warrant itself must specify what will trigger the search and what will be seized, and execution occurs only when the condition is satisfied.

Why other options don’t fit: an anticipatory warrant is not identical to a standard warrant; it hinges on a future event rather than current presence of evidence, yet it still requires probable cause targeting that future scenario. It does not dispense with probable cause, so saying it requires no probable cause is incorrect. And these warrants are used in Tennessee as in other jurisdictions, so stating it cannot be used there is false.