Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Washington

What police can or cant do to you and knowing your rights.

My question has to do with harassment in the police department with people who dont know their rights. I want to know all my rights when getting pulled over, as in can they search car if driver has license? Can the passenger be searched pesonally if driver was suspended or wanted? Can they ask your passengers for their identification for no reason and do they have to give it to them? If someone has a warrant in your home and police know they are inside can they come inside with out peermission and search your house, or do they just arrest the person in question? If your seen with people who have been in jail or in lots of trouble are u guilty by association? IF your arrested with 52 grams of meth or ephedrine can you be P.R.? Can you be let out in one week with that much meth on you and not do much time? Basically I just need to know my personal rights, what i can and cant say and what they can and cant say but do anyways. I want to know about basic traffic stops who they can and cant ask to see id for or, and searching of a vehicle who gets searched and what are your rights? Legal driver or not legal driver. Can you be pulled over and searched just for having police record and not causing any problems? Will your friends be too?


Asked on 10/06/04, 5:59 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Scott Mason The Legal Resource Center

Re: What police can or cant do to you and knowing your rights.

I would suggest you get a copy of The Criminal Law Handbook by Nolo Press. It's the best book I've found for the general public that explains your rights. It has a section on search and seizure. You can get a copy here:

http://www.affordablelegalsolutions.com/Book%20Summaries/book%20summary-criminal%20law%20handbook.htm (just cut and paste in browser)

Good Luck getting this issue resolved.

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Answered on 10/06/04, 3:56 pm


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