Also known as:reasonable grounds to believe · reasonable grounds for believing · reasonable belief
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A belief that a reasonable person would hold when presented with specific facts supporting it. The standard requires an objective basis in articulable circumstances rather than mere suspicion or subjective hunch.
Sources & Authorities
How it applies
Common Examples
3
Protective Sweep After Arrest
Officers arrest Robert Rivera inside his apartment for a drug offense. As they handcuff him, they hear movement in a closed bedroom closet and see a shadow under the door. They open the closet and find Regina Robinson hiding with a loaded pistol. The officers' observation of the movement and shadow supplies the specific facts needed to support their reasonable ground to believe another person posing danger is present, justifying the limited sweep beyond the immediate arrest area.
Seller's Right to Cure Nonconforming Goods
Riverside Healthcare orders custom medical monitors from Raven Logistics for delivery by June 1. Raven ships units with the wrong software protocol on May 15 and immediately notifies the buyer of its plan to replace them by May 25. Raven's prior successful substitutions of similar units on other hospital projects, combined with its prompt offer of a price allowance, gives it reasonable grounds to believe the initial tender would be acceptable with adjustment, allowing additional time to substitute conforming goods.
Put it into practice
Test Yourself
10
Practice Questions5
· 22 primary sources
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Cases
Statutes
Federal Rules
Uniform Acts
Model Codes
Restatements
Study Supplements
Self-Defense Against Perceived Threat
Ryan Roberts sees Ricardo Rojas suddenly raise a long object toward him during a heated argument at dusk. Roberts fires a shotgun, killing Rojas. Witnesses later confirm the object was a shovel. Roberts's honest perception of an imminent rifle attack, formed from the history of conflict and poor lighting, supplies the reasonable ground to believe serious bodily harm was threatened even though the belief later proves mistaken.
Common questions
Frequently Asked
3
How does the reasonable-grounds standard differ from probable cause in criminal procedure?+
The reasonable-grounds standard requires specific and articulable facts supporting a belief that an area harbors a dangerous person. It is a lower threshold than probable cause and justifies only a limited protective sweep incident to arrest rather than a full search.
Supporting sources
What facts support a seller's reasonable grounds to believe a tender would be acceptable under UCC § 2-508(2)?+
A seller may rely on prior course of dealing in which the buyer accepted similar substitutions, combined with an immediate offer of a price allowance. The belief must be objectively reasonable from the perspective of a seller in the same position.
Supporting sources
Does an honest but unreasonable belief satisfy the reasonable-grounds standard in self-defense?+
No. The standard demands an objective basis that a reasonable person would recognize. An honest but unreasonable belief may support imperfect self-defense and reduce murder to voluntary manslaughter in some jurisdictions, but it does not meet the reasonable-grounds threshold for justification.
Supporting sources
Criminal Law & ProcedureHomicide · Intended killingsUBEIntermediate