An Officer Standing in The Driveway Without a Warrant Cannot Utilize the Warrantless Search of Plain View If the Officer is Not Lawfully in the Area at the Time

State v. Raymond Ingram Appellate Docket No.: A-1500-20 Decided February 13, 2023 Submitted by New Jersey Drug Crime Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In a recent published opinion, the Appellate Division of New Jersey reversed a denial of a motion to suppress after finding that officers were not lawfully in the defendant’s driveway and could not view the…

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In Case of An Illegal Search, Evidence May Be Suppressed and The Case Dropped

SUPERIOR COURT OF NEW JERSEY APPELLATE DIVISION DOCKET NO. A-0128-19 STATE OF NEW JERSEY, Plaintiff-Respondent, Versus BRUCE A. POOLE, a/k/aBRUCE POOL, Defendant-Appellant. _______________________ Submitted April 28, 2021 – Decided June 25, 2021 Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark This case arises out of a June 27, 2018, event where there were reported shots fired…

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Be Sure to Understand the Different Levels of Information Officers Need When Investigating to Be Able to Properly Make an Arrest and Charge Someone with a Crime

State v. Gaddy Appellate Docket No.: A-3046-18 Decided March 11, 2021 Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. In a recent unpublished opinion, the Appellate Division of New Jersey reviewed a defendant’s motion to suppress after an anonymous tip provided that individuals were congregating and “engaging in disorderly activity” leading to defendant being charged with…

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Constitutionality of a Warrantless Search and a Protective Sweep of a Residence

State v. Terres: Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. Police were seeking to arrest a man named Fuller on a warrant and received information he was staying at a trailer park, possibly with defendant. State police informed officers defendant had been arrested and told officers that defendant said Fuller was at the trailer…

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Can the police search my car based on the smell of marijuana

Should I sign the consent search form  and agree to let the police  search my car with my daughter there only because the police told me they were going to get a warrant anyway?  The cop said “it would be a lot easier if you just allowed me to search the car, We’re going to…

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What is the penalty for an illegal search of my car?

If the police search my car what happens at a “Suppression” hearing? Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark. The New Jersey Supreme Court Ruled:  In  a blog I wrote yesterday the court ruled the Ocean County/Lakewood NJ police preformed an illegal search of a defendant’s car.  Now that the court ruled the search was illegal…

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Are the police allowed to strip search me once I am in detention?

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark In this case the sole issue is whether the police had the appropriate probable cause to conduct a strip search without consent and without a warrant. The facts in this case are pretty straightforward and consistent with a number of motor vehicle stops. The police pulled a…

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Can a Police Officer Follow Me Into My Home

Submitted by New Jersey Criminal Lawyer, Jeffrey Hark A case was recently decided by New Jersey’s Supreme Court regarding a warrantless search of a defendant’s home. In the case, an officer responded to a noise complaint; essentially a municipal ordinance charge! The defendant was standing on the porch of his home when the officer showed…

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