Seattle DUI Attorney | Just Say No to Searches

Seattle cops have one thing in common - sneakiness. They know what they can and can't do and take every opportunity to toe the line between legal and illegal activity. This includes traffic stops. As a Seattle DUI attorney I can't tell you how many client arrests have resulted from traffic stops that escalated into a drug or weapons charge. And how did this happen? They let the police search the car.

Now, most people ask, why would anyone let the police do this? The reason is sneakiness and playing off our fears and weaknesses. That gets confessions for the police all the time, and it gets people to consent to the search of their vehicle even if they know they have something illegal in it. And it also happens because people don't have a good grasp on what their rights are as it pertains to their vehicle (and their person, and their house). Bottom line - never consent to a search of anything - it throws all the rules out the window.

The rule is this - the police cannot search your car unless some very specific rules apply, or unless you let them. The police know this. That is why if they think you are a drug dealer they will follow you around, try to catch you in a minor traffic violation, pull you over, and try to do whatever they can to get inside of your car to search it. But they must have a reason to get into your car if you don't consent. That reason is called probable cause. And a traffic stop is not enough.

If you are ever stopped by the police and they continue to harass you even after a Seattle traffic ticket is issued, call a Seattle criminal attorney. We can help get the cops off your back, help you with the DUI charge. But whatever you do, do not consent to the search of your vehicle. It is asking for trouble, and nothing good ever comes of it.

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