# The police wanted to search my home. What?? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 18, 2014, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799 "2014-09-18T04:46:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/61 "2014-09-18T18:47:23Z")
> [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](#): > > I’m not understanding your insinuation, but no, I don’t have anything to hide. > I have contacted an attorney. > > . No insinuation at all. For almost every American, if the cops searched hard enuf they could find a crime. Maybe you have prescription drugs without a current 'script or not in the original container. Maybe you have some old porn film that contains a scene with a 17yo actress. Maybe you have some evidence you earned $100 on some side job, but never reported it. Maybe you have illegal music or film downloads. Maybe you smoke an occ doobie. None of these are rare, most are common. > **[Three Felonies a Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent](https://formspal.com/threefeloniesaday/)** > > Three Felonies a Day is a book describing crimes Americans can commit because of vague laws. Find more information about the book at this website, along with useful legal forms. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/62 "2014-09-18T19:08:06Z")
> [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](#): > > My mom said that when the searched her room, all they did was shine a flashlight under her bed. That was it. Well, now you know at least that you don’t have monsters under the bed, so you’ve got that going for you. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/63 "2014-09-18T19:09:56Z")
If they really, for real, could get a warrant to search your house for drugs because they thought you were a dealer they wouldn’t have tipped you off by asking for your consent to search your house. Obviously they got the wrong house. It happens all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/64 "2014-09-18T19:44:37Z")
> [@albert75](#): > > With Obama as president, be careful what you say on your cell phone conversations… The FBI may be listening… This thread has nothing to do about politics so keep the political hijacks/jabs out of it. Make your own thread if you wish. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/65 "2014-09-18T19:55:03Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > If they get consent, they don’t need a warrant. His mother consented to the search. I was referring to the way they were pressuring him to allow them to do the search without a warrant. Since they found a sucker to let them in I doubt there is much he can do legally. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/66 "2014-09-18T20:11:53Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > No insinuation at all. For almost every American, if the cops searched hard enuf they could find a crime. Maybe you have prescription drugs without a current 'script or not in the original container. > > Maybe you have some old porn film that contains a scene with a 17yo actress. > > Maybe you have some evidence you earned $100 on some side job, but never reported it. > > Maybe you have illegal music or film downloads. > > Maybe you smoke an occ doobie. > > None of these are rare, most are common. > > [Three Felonies a Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent | Find Legal PDF Forms](http://www.threefeloniesaday.com/Youtoo/tabid/86/Default.aspx) 🙂 I’m really a boring person. Not a single one of those apply to me. Not even the illegal music. I’m an artist so it’s important to me to respect that artists need to get paid. Btw, I am a woman. Some keep referring to me as a him. I really meant it when I said I am pretty much a suburban mom. ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/67 "2014-09-18T20:17:39Z")
I have a related question. Back in grad school, I rented a basement apartment in a house (the entrance was through the basement, so no separate outside door). It turns out my landlord, who lived there, was stalking an old girlfriend. Cops showed up early one morning with search and arrest warrants. I told them I rented out the apartment and had no idea what the landlord was up to. They wouldn’t show me the warrants but said they needed to search my apartment also. After that, a cop stood in my living room while I showered and dressed for work in the bathroom. I didn’t have a paper lease with the landlord; I just paid rent every month as orally agreed upon. Did they have the right to search my apartment if I said No? They didn’t ask, although I would have said yes, since I didn’t think I had anything to hide (famous last words–as some posters have indicated) and I needed to get to work. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/68 "2014-09-18T20:31:01Z")
> [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](#): > > 🙂 I’m really a boring person. > Not a single one of those apply to me. Not even the illegal music. I’m an artist so it’s important to me to respect that artists need to get paid. > > Btw, I am a woman. Some keep referring to me as a him. > I really meant it when I said I am pretty much a suburban mom. Did I say “him”?😕 OK, but there’s likely something and if not you then your housemates. Many folks who need prescription drugs keep a few in a little pill box. In some areas this is a crime. Are you sure your Mom doesnt? ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/69 "2014-09-18T20:35:58Z")
No, not you., Drdeth. Others have called me a he. I was just clear ing that up. Honestly, I’m not going to get into a discussion regarding how clean I am. There are no pills in boxes, etc. The only pill I can possibly think of that is not in the original box is the dog’s heart worm pill. It is, however, still in the punch out blister pack thing. If that means I have something to hide from the cops, I really don’t know what to say. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/70 "2014-09-18T20:44:06Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Well, now you know at least that you don’t have monsters under the bed, so you’ve got that going for you. Or the monster is a CI and Narc’ed on you to begin with. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/71 "2014-09-18T20:44:22Z")
> [@Orwell](#): > > Not to pile on, but letting them search your car without a warrant was reckless and foolish. Given that you admit smoking weed, don’t you think there was a chance there were some seeds, a roach or some paraphernalia that might be under a seat or in a door panel or even between a seat and seatback? Make the cops get a warrant. Yes, they will intimidate, threaten, cajole and act like pricks. Let them and ask if you are being detained or are free to go. Hopefully, you have a way to record what is going on. Actually, the most they could have done was write me a ticket. What i should have done was tell them that the guy who narced me out was in fact the guy i bought most of my pot from. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/72 "2014-09-18T21:14:56Z")
Didn’t the recent Supreme Court case regarding consent to search hold that the ‘No’ held precedence over the ‘Yes’ if two co-inhabitants disagreed on allowing a search, even if one of them was not on the premises? ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/73 "2014-09-18T21:36:04Z")
> [@dasmoocher](#): > > I have a related question. Back in grad school, I rented a basement apartment in a house (the entrance was through the basement, so no separate outside door). It turns out my landlord, who lived there, was stalking an old girlfriend. Cops showed up early one morning with search and arrest warrants. > > I told them I rented out the apartment and had no idea what the landlord was up to. They wouldn’t show me the warrants but said they needed to search my apartment also. After that, a cop stood in my living room while I showered and dressed for work in the bathroom. > > I didn’t have a paper lease with the landlord; I just paid rent every month as orally agreed upon. Did they have the right to search my apartment if I said No? They didn’t ask, although I would have said yes, since I didn’t think I had anything to hide (famous last words–as some posters have indicated) and I needed to get to work. Search warrants are very precise about which areas of the house are allowed to be searched. The police are also required to present a copy of the warrant upon demand. So the cop was definitely in the wrong. > [@USCDiver](#): > > Didn’t the recent Supreme Court case regarding consent to search hold that the ‘No’ held precedence over the ‘Yes’ if two co-inhabitants disagreed on allowing a search, even if one of them was not on the premises? The cops had already completed their search of his mother’s house by the time the OP found out about it, if I’m understanding correctly. ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/74 "2014-09-18T21:44:58Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > The cops had already completed their search of his mother’s house by the time the OP found out about it, if I’m understanding correctly. But the question remains, does anyone who lives in the house have the right to consent to a warrantless search? What if the mother was a guest staying for two weeks? One night? What about the 10 year old daughter? What about a neighbor over for a cup of sugar? Can the cops search the house if anyone who answers the door says “go ahead”? It seems to me that only the owner or tenant on the lease should be able to grant permission. ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/75 "2014-09-18T21:51:09Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > On that Vegas Strip show, the cops arrest people under 21 who have admitted to drinking. Or issue a ticket. (If the cops feel like it) > > I’m curious if cops do that when people admit marijuana use. Apparently they don’t require physical evidence or any admission of drug use to establish “probable cause”. After being pulled over for a minor traffic infraction, I was arrested and detained in jail for 48 hours, including a group anal cavity check and being chained to other prisoners at the wrists and ankles, simply because I had long hair at the time, looked like a “damn hippy”. The case was later dismissed after the blood test results didn’t provide any evidence. My record was clean at the time and is clean to this day. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/76 "2014-09-18T22:05:55Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Ask “Am I free to go?” If not, or they stop you from making a call, then you are under some form of arrest. Pretty much. NEVER answer interrogation questions from cops without a lawyer present. If you don’t like what you’re hearing, ask them if you are under arrest. If not, then leave. And you should not have let them search your car without probable cause. With six of them there, it must have been intimidating, but they know what your rights are and will back off if the bully tactics don’t work. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/77 "2014-09-18T22:09:39Z")
> [@GreenElf](#): > > Apparently they don’t require physical evidence or any admission of drug use to establish “probable cause”. After being pulled over for a minor traffic infraction, I was arrested and detained in jail for 48 hours, including a group anal cavity check and being chained to other prisoners at the wrists and ankles, simply because I had long hair at the time, looked like a “damn hippy”. The case was later dismissed after the blood test results didn’t provide any evidence. My record was clean at the time and is clean to this day. Obviously my screeds are silly, this provides evidence that the police culture in the USA is measured and reasonable! ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/78 "2014-09-18T22:55:46Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > Search warrants are very precise about which areas of the house are allowed to be searched. The police are also required to present a copy of the warrant upon demand. So the cop was definitely in the wrong. I thought so. The stupid thing about it, aside from the landlord’s actions, was they left copies of the warrants on the upstairs coffee table, so I just read them when I got home. They wouldn’t show me the warrant before searching my apartment, but then they left it in plain sight after I left. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2014, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/79 "2014-09-18T23:46:30Z")
> [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](#): > > I think they are. They are what referred to as Irish Travelers. > The keep entirely to themselves. I couldn’t tell you their names if I had to. Irish Travelers usually aren’t involved with drug trafficing though your neighbors could be the exception of course. They keep to themselves because of generations of bad experiences with outsiders. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799/80 "2014-09-19T00:05:01Z")
All of the travelers in my neighborhood are quiet and nice. My next door neighbors love drama. They love racing around the streets, they love taking their arguments outside. Once she threw out his clothes onto the yard and slashed his tires. The clothes were on the lawn 2 days before they were piled up by the door (yes he had seen the clothes). Believe me when I say that they are shady. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-police-wanted-to-search-my-home-what/698799.md?page=5)