Criminal Searches and Surveillance

In some circumstances, police officers can lawfully search your property without a warrant. This includes searches during or after a lawful arrest and searches of third-party premises that are in plain view.

This exception requires more than a “bare, unarticulated hunch.” 사람찾기흥신소 Officers can only perform this type of search when they are in hot pursuit of suspects to avoid the destruction of evidence or prevent them from fleeing.

Search incident to arrest

A search incident to arrest is a warrantless search conducted by police officers that immediately precedes the arrest of a suspect. It is generally limited to the immediate area around the suspect. A search of this kind is justified by the need to disarm the suspect and for safety reasons. It also provides the opportunity to preserve evidence that may be needed for prosecution later on.

In Robinson, the Supreme Court held that a search incident to arrest is permitted if it is substantially contemporaneous with the arrest and confined to the immediate area surrounding the suspect. This is a less stringent standard than the reasonable suspicion standard for a home search, but it is still an exception to the general rule that a warrant must be obtained before searching one’s home.

The Supreme Court has since clarified the search incident to arrest rule in Thornton and Gant. It has rejected a requirement of actual or imminent danger, saying that such an imminence test would effectively proscribe the search incident to arrest power. It has also stated that the only element of a valid search incident to arrest is that the officer “reasonably believes” that there is probable cause to believe that evidence connected to the crime for which the defendant is arrested is present in the searched item.

Protective sweep

A protective sweep is a limited search that police are allowed to conduct when they are arresting someone. This search is to ensure officers’ safety and that of those who are present at the scene. It is based on the reasonable suspicion exception to traditional Fourth Amendment searches. The law requires that officers have a warrant or a reasonable basis to believe that the suspect is armed and poses a danger to them. Officers can only search the areas where they can expect to find a suspect hiding, and only for the length of time necessary to dispel the risk of danger. Any illegal items found during the sweep must be seized.

The court ruled that the officers did not have a warrant, proper consent or exigent circumstances to conduct this search of Hassock’s bedroom. Therefore, the gun seized during the sweep was suppressed. However, the court found that the officers’ initial entry into Hassock’s home for questioning and probable cause was lawful.

Solari: Miller, the two consolidated cases decided by the New Jersey Supreme Court on January 20, 2022, place some restrictions on extended protective sweeps. When officers have a search warrant, they can sweep the whole house or property that they are searching. In other situations, though, officers may want to go further than the immediate area surrounding the place of arrest.

Searches related to an arrest

If an officer has reasonable suspicion that a person may have weapons on them, they can search the suspect. This is called a search incident to arrest, and it does not require a warrant. It is limited to a pat down of the suspect’s outer clothing and any areas where a weapon could be hidden or concealed, such as pockets. Officers can also use this opportunity to look for any evidence that is related to the crime they are investigating.

However, the scope of this search cannot be extended. The scope of the search must be contemporaneous with the actual arrest. If the search precedes the arrest, it is illegal. The Supreme Court has held that an officer may search a person who is being arrested for reasons such as to prevent the destruction of evidence or ensure the safety of the person and others at the scene.

In some cases, officers will ask a suspect to go inside their house before transferring them to jail for things like changing into jail clothes or feeding their pet. This is an attempt to expand the scope of the search, but it violates the suspect’s Fourth Amendment rights. This is a good time for law enforcement agencies to review their policies on searches of people who are being transferred from the field to jail or Gen Pop.

Searches of a third party’s home

While it may seem like it’s impossible to avoid a search of your property or yourself by law enforcement, there are some tactics you can employ to protect yourself. For example, you have the right to remain silent and not incriminate yourself under your Fifth Amendment rights. You should also request an attorney to be present during any questioning by police officers. A criminal defense lawyer will be able to advise you regarding your rights and options and determine whether any evidence seized by the police was obtained illegally.

A search warrant must be granted by a court in order to search someone’s home. The court must find that there is probable cause to believe that the suspect’s home contains evidence of a crime. In some situations, law enforcement can enter a residence without a warrant when they have the consent of the suspect or an exception to the warrant requirement.

An exception to the warrant requirement allows police to enter a home without a warrant when they believe that doing so will destroy evidence, threaten public safety, or prevent the fleeing suspect from escaping; see Illinois v. McArthur, 531 U.S. 326 (2001). In addition, the Supreme Court has ruled that evidence in plain view from a legitimate vantage point is not subject to Fourth Amendment scrutiny.