They Searched My Car . . .

THEY SEARCHED MY CAR

In Utah, a Police Officer can search your car if they smell marijuana. Or if they see evidence of some kind of crime in plain view. A lot of people don’t know that they can’t search your car if they ask to and you just tell them no.

That’s right. It’s your car. If they have no reason to search it, they can’t. You can actually say no.

Now this is really only a problem for people who have things to hide. OR for people who actually care about their rights. Whether or not you want to give the government access to your trunk full of dirty socks and funnels from the gas station, those things are yours and the government can’t just go snooping around for no reason. That is part of being in a free country.

BUT, if the cops have a legitimate reason for searching, like they got a call on the radio that a car with your plate left the scene of some crime and the people in the car put stuff in the trunk, they can search your trunk.

Most of the time when police smell marijuana, they are looking for cash or a stash. When they find a bong and a bag, they tend to just cite you with a misdemeanor. You need to be sure to call a lawyer when this happens so you don’t have other penalties like a suspended driver’s license.

I have handled hundreds of these cases and I can tell you if they searched for no reason, or if we need to make a deal so you can keep driving. If you are stopped, call me.

This blog is attorney advertising material and does not constitute legal advice.