Exceptions to the Warrant Requirement for Drug Searches

While most of the time law enforcement need a warrant to conduct drug searches, several exceptions to the warrant requirement exist. Evidence collected without a warrant when one was required can be suppressed in court. Some of the most common exceptions to the warrant requirement for drug searches include: 1) plain view, 2) a search incident to arrest, and 3) an automobile search. Plain View Law enforcement officers do not need a warrant when evidence or contraband is in plain view when they are present. For example, if a police officer questions someone inside his house and sees a pipe and...

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