Can Police Conduct a Search Without a Warrant?
In most cases, police need a warrant to conduct a search. Police get a warrant by showing a judge or magistrate that there is sufficient probable cause to conduct a search. If the judge determines that there is sufficient probable cause, then a warrant will be issued for police to search for specific items in a specific place. Often the description of whats being sought might be somewhat general, like drug paraphernalia and anything associated with the buying, selling or using of illegal substances. There are three common exceptions to the rule that police need to obtain a warrant before conducting a search. The first, called the plain view doctrine, refers to situations in which the police, during the course of legal police business, see something of interest in plain view. For example, if you have consented to talk to the police inside your home, and an officer happens to see drug paraphernalia or an item fitting the description of a something that has recently been stolen, an office
