When the police arrive at your doorstep with a warrant in hand, they are looking for evidence of a crime you may have committed. To get the warrant, they had to provide proof to a judge that a crime was committed, and that evidence is likely to be found by conducting a search of your premises. Feel free to look at the warrant carefully before allowing the police in your home, but understand that a search will be conducted with or without your consent if a warrant has been issued.
Your Roommate Can Let in the Police Without Your Consent
If you are not home and your roommate allows the police in your home, they don't even need a search warrant to go through your property. The person who answers the door is deemed responsible for the space, and that person has the ability to let anyone search the property. Even if you had nothing to do with giving permission for a search without a warrant to police, the evidence found can be used against you in criminal court.
If There is an Emergency, Your Premises Can be Searched
If there is an armed suspect on the loose in your neighborhood, a reasonable search of the area will be conducted by police. This may include your property, both the yard and the inside of your house. If during an emergency search for an armed suspect, police find drugs in plain sight, you can be arrested for possession of an illegal substance. As long as the officer is in your home legally--in this case it is legal because it is a reasonable emergency--anything the officer sees in plain sight can be confiscated.
You Don't Have to Allow a Search without a Warrant
If police arrive at your door and ask to search your property, you can say no. If they don't have a warrant, you have the right to say no to a search. While some people may believe that this will only result in a warrant anyway, you have the legal right to say no. If the police attempt to search your home, even though you said no, the search is illegal and anything they find can't be used as evidence against you.
As a person who has been charged with a crime, it's important to know flesh out the details of your case with a qualified criminal attorney. The evidence against you may be circumstantial, or the search conducted may have been illegal. When you've been charged, it's time to meet with a good criminal lawyer that can help you win your case.
