It doesn’t matter what law enforcement officials accuse you of doing. You enjoy the same rights under the United States Constitution.
One of those rights is the freedom from unlawful or unreasonable searches and seizures. If you do not have at least a basic understanding of how to exercise this right, you could jeopardize your case.
What should you know?
Before beginning any discussion regarding search warrants and illegal searches, you should know that your consent nullifies the need for a warrant. You give up your Fourth Amendment protections when you allow police to conduct a search without requiring them to obtain a search warrant. As a general rule, if the officer asks for your permission to search, he doesn’t have probable cause to obtain legal permission to search.
When evaluating whether police violated your Fourth Amendment rights, a Florida court will look at whether you had an expectation of privacy at the location searched and if your expectation was reasonable. If the search fails to pass this test, then any evidence gathered during the search may not be admissible in court. In your home, you do have an expectation of privacy, and police officers must obtain a valid search warrant in order to enter and search.
The more intrusive a search is, the greater the chances are that police need a search warrant. What does that mean? Well, it means that police may take photographs of your property from above. They may also listen in on any conversation you have searching for probable cause to obtain a warrant. However, they may not use hi-tech equipment in order to listen to your conversations or obtain photos of your home from the air. If conducting these activities requires sophisticated equipment, police probably need a warrant.
Instances where the law and the courts don’t require a search warrant
In some cases, police do not need a warrant in order to conduct a search of your property. Other than consent, which was discussed above, the following circumstances could negate the need for a warrant:
- An officer may search you and your immediate area as part of an arrest. They may look for weapons or anything else that could harm the officer or anyone else.
- In an emergency, an officer may not need a warrant since public safety may be at risk.
- If an officer is in a place he or she may legally be and sees evidence in plain view, then the court does not require a warrant.
Of course, just because an officer alleges one of these situations occurred does not necessarily mean it’s true. You may still challenge a search conducted under these circumstances if doubt exists regarding the legality of the search.