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When you go into a suspect’s home to execute a search warrant, it’s not uncommon to find several people present, whether suspects, family members, or others. Sometimes, occupants may outnumber officers on the scene. This can create problems of safety and control, making it more difficult to carry out the search. Realizing this, the Supreme Court has provided guidelines on the ability of officers to detain, handcuff, and question occupants while a search takes place.
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The world is, as they say, getting smaller. International travel and relocation are commonplace, which means that police officers everywhere are more likely to encounter crime victims, witnesses, and suspects who are not U.S. citizens. Because of federal law, special procedures may sometimes apply when dealing with foreign nationals.
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By now, most banks and convenience stores have installed video cameras or still cameras to preserve evidence of any criminal event. Following a robbery or other crime, law enforcement officers can use the surveillance video or photos to trace the crook and put together a photo array or lineup to be displayed to witnesses for identification.
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Some law enforcement activities are more likely than others to generate citizen complaints, tort claims, and lawsuits (use of deadly or serious force, for example). But even routine detentions, searches, and arrests also present civil liability risks. What can you do to reduce the chances of becoming a defendant in a lawsuit?
Read More →In some cases, it’s necessary to take a suspect into custody as soon as you conclude that probable cause exists. But in other cases, making the arrest too quickly might not be advisable. Making an arrest triggers certain constitutional tests and starts the clock running on steps that have to be taken within specified times. Control and safety permitting, it may be best to delay making an arrest until the last practical moment.
Read More →The court has now ruled that the timing and other circumstances of an interrogation may undermine the effectiveness of the warning; if the warning is not "effective," the statement is still not admissible, even if the suspect waived and confessed.
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During a temporary detention, does a person have a duty to identify himself or herself to the detaining officer? Can a person be arrested for refusing to do so? The answer to both questions is, "Sometimes."
Read More →More than a handful of judges, lawyers, and police officers mistakenly thought of Miranda as some sort of judicial rule about how police officers are required to conduct interrogations.
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The admissibility rule of Miranda v. Arizona generally dictates that you give the standard warning and get a voluntary waiver before interrogating a suspect in custody. But not always.
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