When can law enforcement officers search a suspect house?

Question

Homework Help

Answer 1

1. They need a valid search warrant, supported by a probable cause statement/witness affidavit, and the warrant must be signed by a magistrate.

2. Exigent circumstances, such as a probability that evidence would be destroyed if not seized.

3. The suspect was being chased by the cops and ducked into his residence.

4. Consent of the owner or apparent owner of the premises.

There may be a few more exceptions, but I cannot recall them right now.

Answer 2

With the consent of the owner, with a search warrant, or if probable cause and exigent circumstances exist.

To explain the last one, probable cause means the officer has a good reason to believe a crime is taking place, and exigent circumstances is something that would not make getting a warrant practical. The two most common reasons a warrant would not be practical would be safety of a person, or destruction of evidence. For example, if you get called to a house for a noise complaint, and hear a fight and someone hollering "please help me", the officer would force his way in and search for the vicitm and suspect.

Some states also have a provision for "hot pursuit", if you are chasing someone suspected of a felony, and see them run into a house, you can legally chase them inside the house.

Answer 3

It relies upon, have they have been given a warrant? Did while they knocked on the door see swimming pools of blood on the floor? Did somebody call 911 from the place of residing and postpone? Did it look like the door became opened forcefully while the officer have been given there? there are various circumstances which could come into play there. If the police officer basically needed to ask you a question then now he/she won't be able to easily enter your place.

Answer 4

They can search your house or anyones house for that matter if they have a warrant for some kind of probable cause or! If you happen to invite them in then they can start looking around. If you invite a police officer in they usually do start looking about your house and since they travel in packs, you can watch them all at once.

Answer 5

When there is reasonable cause to believe there is a crime being commited or reasonable cause to believe that there is something illegal or incriminating in that house. A search requires a warrant to be legal, but police may enter a house if they have cause to believe that a crime is in progress in that house and they may not have time enough to obtain a warrant.

Answer 6

if someones life is endanger and there is violence present in the home then they can enter.. human welfare at stake..