Facing serious criminal allegations and high-level drug charges goes far beyond simple drug possession charges. Perhaps you have been accused of interstate drug trafficking, for example, or manufacturing drugs. The charges you are facing could be life-changing.
During their investigation, the police want to search your home to look for evidence. Do you have to allow them to do so?
You do not have to provide consent
First of all, if the police simply arrive at your home unannounced and ask to conduct a search, they are really just seeking your consent to come inside. But no matter how many times they ask, you do not have to give them consent. You can tell them to come back with a warrant.
That search warrant is the second way that they can search your home. If they have a warrant, they can execute it, but remember that it has to be done within the bounds of the instructions listed in that warrant. For instance, the warrant may say when it needs to be executed, exactly what evidence the police can look for or what portions of your property they are allowed to search in the first place.
In rare cases, there may be an emergency where they can conduct a search, such as if they think there is a danger to the public or if they are actively in pursuit of a suspect. But these emergency situations will likely not apply in your case, where they are just conducting an investigation after allegations have already been made.
An illegal search
If the police conduct an illegal search, such as entering your home without a warrant or your consent, then it may invalidate any evidence that they find. This could have a dramatic impact on your drug charges, so be sure you know all of your legal options.
