Jacksonville Criminal Lawyer Blog
Police in Orange Park, Clay County, Florida raided a house pursuant to a suspected illegal marijuana growing operation, according to an article on News4Jax.com. According to the article, the Clay County police officers seized numerous marijuana plants and observed marijuana growing equipment such as lights and ventilation equipment in the house. Charges have not been filed at this early stage, but it is likely that felony marijuana charges will result from the search and arrests.
The article on the Jacksonville, Florida paper’s website indicates that the police discovered the house based on “intelligence.” One issue that is sure to arise in the following criminal case is what specific facts the Clay County police had to justify a search warrant for the house and the subsequent search and seizure of the marijuana plants and other evidence. At a motion to suppress evidence in the criminal case, the Clay County police will have to show that they had a legitimate factual basis to obtain a search warrant and search the house. This is just one of the several issues that arise in a drug case involving search warrants and the seizure of evidence from someone’s home.
If you have any questions about your Fourth Amendment rights to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures or a police officer’s right to search you, your vehicle, your home or any other belonging, feel free to contact us for a free consultation about the laws related to drug cases and illegal searches and seizures.