It’s often scary to see how little people know about policing and what is lawfully required of officers when they interact with them. Knowing your rights as a citizen is very important, and you cannot get your legal information from movies or hearsay. You need to know exactly what’s within an officer’s rights too as this will be the only way to know if they’re overstepping their boundaries. Let’s take a look at some of the most common myths about policing and police interactions and the truth behind them.
Officers Need to Notify You First Before They Enter Your Home
If officers have a warrant against you, they do not have to let you know why they’re there or that they’re here in the first place. This is a myth that has been perpetuated by the fact that this is required on normal warrants, but a judge can issue a special warrant that allows police to come in uninvited and use force if needed.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t have recourse if the officers made a mistake or if they use excessive force with you or the inhabitants, however. You could also get recourse if they caused excessive damage to your property or if you’re not guilty of the crime they accused you of.
If you’re in any of these situations, you will need to seek legal counsel as soon as possible if you haven’t already. A team that specializes in no-knock warrant cases will be able to get to the bottom of the issue and see who’s truly responsible. They will then be able to see if criminal charges could be filed and get you a cash settlement if you are eligible. If you’d like to speak with a no-knock warrant lawyer, you should visit https://www.rblaw.net/practices-no-knock-warrants.
Stops Need to be Lawful for Evidence to be Valid
While it is true that evidence that was obtained through illegal searches will often be thrown out of court, it is not always the case. If a police officer stops you illegally but finds out that you had a warrant out for your arrest, any contraband that they find on you could get you convicted. The only case where you would be protected is if your name was completely clear. So, don’t assume that you have a case just because you were stopped and searched without reasonable cause or suspicion.
Police Officers Have to Read You Your Miranda Rights
The idea that a police officer is obligated to tell you your rights before they get you in the cruiser is mainly from Hollywood movies and it rarely happens in real life. You should know your rights already and it’s not the job of an officer to educate you.
One thing that is true, however, is that you are under no obligation to speak with any law enforcement officer without a lawyer present or before seeking counsel from one. So, you were denied this opportunity, you could have grounds to sue and have a case thrown out in some instances.
Understanding the work of police officers and your rights as a citizen is very important to avoid misunderstandings and abuse. This is why you need to learn as much about the subject as you can and verify any information you get with a reliable source.
