Some individuals in and around Sugar Land find themselves under investigation by police for a variety of reasons. If one of them stands accused of drug crimes, police may want to search his or her home. The last thing a person in this situation may want to do is voluntarily let police into the home.
In fact, giving consent for police to enter is the only way officers can enter a home without a search warrant — with some exceptions. If police knock on a Sugar Land resident’s door, that person does not even have to answer unless there is a valid search warrant. An individual can refuse to open the door and/or allow police entry.
If an individual fears that police will attempt to force their way into the home without a search warrant, they can exit the residence through another door and talk to police outside. He or she could also speak with police through the chain lock many places have on the door. In any case, it would be a good idea not to have personal items laying out where police could see them “in plain view” through the door. If those items could be reasonably considered evidence of a crime, it might give police probable cause to seize those items without a warrant.
The U.S. Supreme Court and the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provide people across the country with the highest protections from searches and seizures possible in their homes. An individual under investigation for drug crimes may want to take get ahead of the game and find out exactly what his or her rights are in order to avoid inadvertently making matters worse. Having a legal advocate available before an arrest even occurs could help reach the best solution possible to the situation.
