Georgia Search & Seizure Guidelines Violations Attorney
Atlanta Defense Lawyer
An important part of a drug charge defense is determining whether evidence used in the charge was obtained legally. Search and seizure guidelines determine whether procedures used by law enforcement were performed in accordance with the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution.
If you are facing a state or federal drug offense, contact a lawyer who can determine whether the evidence supporting the charge was obtained legally. Call the office of Jeff Manciagli, Trial Attorney, at (404) 642-9080.
Fourth Amendment issues
Some of the search and seizure issues that arise in drug cases and other serious crimes include:
- Warrantless searches. Such searches are legal in only a few circumstances. I make sure that any warrantless search was conducted according to search and seizure guidelines.
- Reasonable cause. Was there reasonable cause for law enforcement to request and execute a warrant?
- Workplace searches. Did the search violate a reasonable expectation of privacy in the workplace?
- Accurate description. Was the property that law enforcement sought correctly described? Was the place to be searched correctly described?
- Arrest warrants. An arrest warrant does not allow law enforcement to conduct a search except in very limited circumstances. Property seized during the execution of an arrest warrant is often inadmissible.
There are many detailed procedural guidelines for special circumstances involving schools, computers, jewelry, cars and personal searches. Law enforcement officials are required to know and follow these guidelines. When they do not, the evidence seized in the search can be excluded from the case because it was obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment.
Visitors and passengers
There are other issues related to search and seizure that frequently arise in state and federal drug cases. Individuals are frequently charged with possession or other drug crimes. If you were a visitor to the house that was searched or a passenger in the car that was searched, it may be possible to have the evidence obtained in the search suppressed. Just because you were present when the search was executed does not mean that you were involved with the contraband found by the search.
Results matter in search and seizure cases
I am often successful in building cases based on Fourth Amendment search and seizure issues. I have had cases dismissed, charges reduced and clients acquitted because of a strong argument based on search and seizure guidelines.
Contact a knowledgeable Georgia lawyer
To learn how I use search and seizure guidelines to build a strong case for clients accused of drug crimes or other serious offenses, contact our Search & Seizure Guidelines Violations Attorney today or call us at (404) 642-9080.