Defending against illegal searches
It can be incredibly traumatic to witness law enforcement officials rifling through one’s personal possessions, tearing through their home or emptying out the contents of their car for all of the world to see. Although in some cases it is legal for Arizona police officers to perform these extensive searches of suspects’ property, in other situations law enforcement officials may overstep their boundaries and may perform searches that violate individuals’ constitutional rights.
Law enforcement officials must have adequate grounds on which to perform searches and when they do perform those searches they must follow the laws that govern what may be searched and what may be seized. When they fail to follow the laws in place that are intended to protect citizens from unreasonable searches and invasions into their privacy, the evidence they collect may be inadmissible in any legal proceedings against the suspects.
A criminal defendant can ask for illegally collected evidence to be thrown out when it comes time for their trial and doing so can help them prove their innocence and ultimately their case to be set free. If a prosecutor loses their evidence against a defendant due to an illegal search, their case may fall apart due to a lack of support for their arguments.
Having illegally collected evidence thrown out at trial can be an important part of a person’s criminal defense strategy. However, pursuing this line of defense can be difficult. The Nolan Law Firm provides criminal defense support to individuals who wish to use all of the legal tools at their disposal to demonstrate their innocence and preserve their freedom in the face of pending criminal charges.
