Which of the following is one of the four elements of an arrest?

• A. Intent
• B. Probable cause
• C. Jurisdiction
• D. Access to counsel

Answer: (A)

The essential idea is that an arrest is a formal seizure carried out with a specific purpose: to arrest the person. That purpose requires intent. If an officer restrains someone without intending to arrest—say, during a mere stop or detention—the action isn’t an arrest. The intent to arrest is what converts a temporary detention into a formal arrest.

So, why this choice fits best: intent to arrest is the defining mental state behind the act. It shows the officer’s purpose and distinguishes an arrest from lawful detention or investigative stop. The other options describe important legal concepts in policing—probable cause provides justification for arrest, jurisdiction concerns who may arrest where, and access to counsel relates to rights after custody—but none of them are the act itself in the way intent to arrest is.