What type of evidence must exist for law enforcement to justify obtaining a warrant?

For law enforcement to justify obtaining a warrant, probable cause is required. Probable cause means there must be a reasonable belief, based on factual evidence, that a crime has been committed or that specific evidence of a crime can be found at the location for which the warrant is sought. This standard helps to protect individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures, ensuring that law enforcement has sufficient grounds to intrude upon someone's privacy.

Probable cause is often established through information obtained from various sources, including witness testimonies and intelligence gathered from confidential informants. However, these sources do not, on their own, directly fulfill the legal requirement for obtaining a warrant. Instead, they must collectively support a reasonable belief that a specific violation of the law has occurred or that evidence related to a crime is present at a particular place.

The concept of substantial evidence pertains to the weight and quality of the information needed in legal contexts, but when it comes to warrants, specifically, the emphasis is on the concept of probable cause rather than merely having a substantial amount of evidence.