In situations where you’re suspected of having committed a crime, you are obligated to cooperate with the police because failure to do so may lead to your arrest. But consensual encounters, where a police officer stops and talks to you when there’s no evidence of any wrongdoing, can sometimes lead to arrest as well. Here’s…
It’s a common scene in police dramas and action movies: The police are chasing a suspect, who gets away by blending in with a large crowd. Wouldn’t it be handy if the police had a way to scan crowds like this and be able to find the suspect before he or she got away? In…
We are guaranteed the right to not have our homes and property unlawfully searched by law enforcement, thanks to the Fourth Amendment. However, there are four circumstances under which a warrant is not necessary. 1. Consent If the owner of the property agrees to a search, no warrant is necessary. However, there are exceptions. If…
In this country, suspects are innocent until proven guilty; but that doesn’t mean you can’t be arrested on probable cause. So what exactly is “probable cause,” anyway? Probable cause is a complex and involved concept which has been litigated for decades and has been the subject of hundreds of appellate opinions, including many United States…
