Legal Question in Criminal Law in Virginia

Re: what are the police arrests do's and don'ts?

Each situation confronting the arresting officer(s)is invariably different. However one pre- arrest principle that is virtually axiomatic and applicable to all (arrest situations) is that the officer(s) must have probable cause, i.e., a legally good reason for the arrest, whether with or without a warrant.

Post arrest procedures, again, will vary with the particular arrest situation (with the safety of the officer[s] being paramount), but all who have been taken into police custody must be given their Miranda warnings and transported to a secure police facility where they are to be processed according to established procedures.