Close
Updated:

St Louis Criminal Defense: What If The Police Officer Performed An Illegal Search Of Myself Or Car?

ONLY $375 FOR MOST ST LOUIS MISDEMEANORS

If a police officer conducted a search of your person or car (or any of your belongings), then it may be possible to file a Motion to Suppress. This type of motion will inform the court of the improper action taken by the officer, and if granted, will disallow any evidence found as a result of the illegal search.

When you are pulled over (or if you are stopped on the street) by a police officer, then it is possible that the cop will do a quick “pat down” on you to make sure you are not holding any dangerous weapons. But if the officer wishes to conduct a further search, then he/she must be able to articulate a good reason for doing so.

Of course, the officer can simply ask for your permission to search your car (or your possession). And if you give him/her permission to do so, then it would be very difficult to argue that any subsequent search is illegal. Indeed, many cops will phrase their request to search your car in such a way so as to make it sound as if you have no choice in the matter. So it will come across as something like, “I need to search your car.” And if you say something like, “Um, yeah. Okay.” the cop likely take that as you giving permission.

AS LOW AS $750 FOR CERTAIN ST LOUIS FELONIES

But that doesn’t you have to give permission. Unless the officer can provide some sort of probable cause as to why he/she thinks there is some sort of wrongful activity on your part, then the officer can’t search your belongings. Now having said that, a cop can always just make up probable cause. The number of cops who have said, “I smelled the distinct order of marijuana,” or “The suspect was acting suspicious” is more than anyone knows. And very frequently, the court will defer to the officer’s statement of the facts.

This is why it is so terribly important to contact a good St Louis criminal defense lawyer!! We can answer all of your questions, help you understand your rights and options, and guide you through the process step by step!

The affordable St. Louis criminal defense attorneys at The Bankruptcy Company, have been helping people with their misdemeanor charges for over ten (10) years. Our goal is to make sure that the charges leveled against you do not stay on your permanent record, and do any lasting damage. And we want to do all of this at an affordable price. The fees for a typical misdemeanor case start at $375. But the initial consultation to discuss your legal issues is free of charge. So contact us today!!

We have one location by appointment only: 4625 Lindell Blvd St. Louis, MO 63108. The initial consultation is free of charge. So contact us today to learn more!!

Contact Us