fresh pursuit

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Fresh pursuit is also known as hot pursuit or immediate pursuit, and means that the police officers have the right to conduct a continuous pursuit beyond their own jurisdiction in order to apprehend a suspect. 

It also refers to the Fourth Amendment clause allowing police officers to conduct warrantless searches and arrests while pursuing a fleeing suspect. Fresh pursuit can also be the right of a person to use reasonable force to retake property that has just been taken.

[Last updated in March of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]