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Warrantless Search Research Paper

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Words 580
Pages 3
Legal Question Presented
Is the warrantless search constitutional?
Short Answer
The warrantless search is constitutional.
Statement of Facts
Kentucky undercover police officers set up a controlled buy of cocaine outside an apartment complex.
When an uniformed police moved in on the suspect, the suspect ran to a breezeway of an apartment building. As the officers arrived in the area, they heard a door shut.
When the officers banged on the door people and things began moving in the apartment. The believe that drug-related evidence was about to be destroyed so they kicked in the door.
There were three people in the apartment Hollis King, his girlfriend, and a guest.
There was marijuana and powder cocaine in plain view.
Crack cocaine, cash, …show more content…
When a uniformed officer approached the dealer he ran. The officers chased the suspect into the breezeway of an apartment building. When the officers arrived they heard a door shut in the breezeway. When the officers began to bang on the door and yell “police” things began to move inside the apartment. The police believed that drug-related evidence was being destroyed so they kicked down the door. When the police entered the apartment there was marijuana and powder cocaine in plain view. This gave them the ability to do a complete search of the apartment where they found crack cocaine, cash, and drug paraphernalia. There were three people in the apartment, Hollis King, his girlfriend, and a guest, but none of them were the initial suspect. The initial suspect was found in the other apartment on the breezeway. King was indicted for criminal violations, including trafficking in marijuana, trafficking in controlled substances, and persistent felony offender status. King filed a motion to have the evidence suppressed as the fruits of an illegal warrantless search in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The government argued that the search was a valid warrantless search that was justified by exigent

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