What term describes the facts required to progress from one level of suspicion to another?

The term that describes the facts required to progress from one level of suspicion to another is articulable facts. These are specific, clear, and objective facts that law enforcement officers can point to as a basis for their suspicion or decision-making at different stages of legal scrutiny. In the context of investigations or police stops, articulable facts provide the necessary foundation to justify escalating levels of suspicion, starting from a mere hunch to reasonable suspicion, and eventually, to probable cause.

Articulable facts help establish a legal threshold that protects individuals' rights while allowing law enforcement to act effectively. For example, if an officer observes a person engaging in suspicious behavior—such as looking around nervously while lingering near a closed business—these factual observations can form the basis for an initial stop and inquiry.

In contrast to this term, corroborative evidence refers to additional evidence that supports or confirms existing facts or suspicions, whereas speculative assumptions are unvalidated beliefs or guesses without factual backing. Heuristic details typically refer to cognitive shortcuts or rules of thumb used for problem-solving and are not specifically related to legal standards of suspicion. Therefore, articulable facts are critical in the legal framework as they provide a factual basis needed for officers to justify their actions at different stages of an investigation