Hearing a knock at the door and looking out to see a police officer standing there can be a worrying moment. Whether you are a teen or the parent of a teen, you may well wonder about what happens next.
While you are not obligated to open a door just because an officer is standing there, things change if they tell you they have a valid search warrant. This gives the authorities the right to enter, whether you like it or not.
You can ask the police to push the warrant under the door so you can check its validity, but they are not obligated to comply with your request. In some cases, they may just enter, and a court may later decide that was OK. There have even been cases where the police are permitted to enter without knocking at all – for example, if doing so would put them or others in danger.
How can you tell if it is valid?
Let’s say they do agree to show you the warrant first. A valid warrant will have the correct address, date and the signature of a judge or magistrate. A court won’t necessarily consider that a minor spelling mistake or typo invalidates it, though.
You should then look at what the warrant specifies they can do. Does it give them permission to seize your child’s laptop and phone? Is it a warrant to search for a weapon or drugs in just your child’s bedroom, or does it permit them to search the whole house?
Understanding your rights and how best to react to police requests can be difficult at such a fraught time. Do not try to stand in the way of officers intent on entering, as that could result in injury or even charges. If a search or seizure was unlawful, there are legal options available to challenge the allowance of any evidence collected in court.