Fourth Amendment Protects Utahans from Unreasonable Searches
The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution says “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated…” Unfortunately for most Provo residents, the Fourth Amendment is unknown to them or not understood. Provo, and other Utah County city residents, have many rights protected under the Fourth Amendment but too few fail to realize its protections. It protects police from abusing their authority, and keeps them from just walking into anyone’s home and searching through every personal detail.
Provo Residents Don’t Have to Consent to Searches
The Fourth Amendment may sound simple enough to understand but the inconvenient reality is, like most areas of the law, there are many gray areas of the amendment’s jurisprudence. The muddled nature of search and seizure law is why there are Provo criminal defense lawyers to protect individuals’ rights from invasive action by the government. Despite the law being complicated and confusing at times, it is important for people to understand their rights.
The biggest right people in Provo and the rest of Utah County fail to realize is that they can say no to a police officer’s request to search a home, business, or vehicle. Summed up, without a search warrant property is held to be private and usually cannot be searched without an owner’s consent. What this means for people in Utah County is that if a police officer asks to search property, the owner has the right to say “No.”
The police can be intimidating and will often attempt to intimidate people into allowing them to search their property but people can still say no. Saying no does not implicate any guilt either. It simply means one is exercising his constitutional rights. Many Utahans are charged with something like drug possession because they allowed police officers to search their property. Even if someone has nothing to hide, he should still not consent to police searches in order to protect his rights.
Provo Criminal Defense Lawyers Protect 4th Amendment Rights
If the police knock on your door and want to search your home, or they pull you over and ask to search your vehicle, you can and should say no. If the police have already searched your property and you are now being charged with something like possession of marijuana, call a Provo Criminal Defense lawyer. A Provo Criminal Defense lawyer understands Fourth Amendment law and will fight hard to protect your rights. Call 801.800.8246 to speak with a lawyer today. Consultations are free and a lawyer will help you understand what you need to know to move on from a criminal charge.
