Having someone search through your vehicle, home and other personal belongings for drugs can be extremely distressing. However, if a police officer has good reason to believe that they might find drugs, it may be well within their rights to search your property for the offending belongings. For example, if an officer smells an odor of something stronger than cigarette smoke during a routine traffic stop, this could count as probable cause to search the vehicle.
What should you do if a law enforcement officer searches you or your property for drugs in Florida?
Remain calm
Although it can be difficult, remaining calm is your best bet toward not making yourself look more guilty or as if you are hiding something else besides the drug in question. The last thing you want at this time is for the situation to escalate and to receive a charge of something like resisting arrest.
Know your rights
While it is important not to argue, and potentially not to even question the search at the time, it is important to be aware of your rights going forward. Sometimes, it will come to light that a search was not done properly, and the results could be inadmissible in the judicial system. An example of an improper search would be an officer searching both a home and a vehicle when the search warrant only permitted entry into the home.
Knowing how to act and what to do after a drug search helps to ensure that you get the best possible outcome.