Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Is there ever a good time to give consent to a search?

In reading the stop light thread I was wondering if there was ever a reason to give consent to have your vehicle voluntarily searched. What could be the downside of making the Leo produce a search warrant outlining what exactly they were looking for?

I'm not trying to bash cops but truly curious about what possible benefit it could be to me to consent to a search?

If you're hiding something they'll find it. If you're not hiding anything it'll waste your time. Lose / Lose

only if you have nothing to hide, saying no will make them just search harder and do more damage to your car

I was under the impression that a warrant was pretty specific and not an open ticket to look for anything and everything. How many times can you go to a judge for a warrant and come back empty handed on a fishing expedition?

That seems fair.

If they think they have probable cause and you say no, they'll impound the vehicle and take you into custody until they can get a search warrant.

If you say yes and they find something, it'll be the same outcome.

If they don't think there's probable cause and you haven't acted like a jerk, they probably won't ask to search in the first place.

couple years back, I denied a local Sheriff Deputy a look see in my 4Runner. He said he could get a warrant. Told the lad to go ahead, as I was retired, had no place to go that afternoon, had a book to read, and a bottle of water.
His Sargent told him just don't bother, and they left.

Who knows. I would never let somebody search my car without a warrent. That is based on all the advice I have ever been given, wether it was a lawyer or police friends.

I know that Rocky and I have never been asked to search in my 45+ years of driving but it's a different situation with my kids. They seem to get stopped for virtually nothing and are always asked to search. Nothing has ever been found. Just seems like fishing to me.

Hypothetical for the "if you have nothing to hide" crowd, you buy a used car and after you consent to a search the officer finds some marijuana that the previous teenage owner left you as a present in a tiny crevice. Now you're going to jail.....

I would absolutely positively never let an officer search my vehicle, home, etc. without a valid and signed search warrant.

Smart fellow. How is the optic working for your brother?

I can't find my brass knuckles anywhere.
I'm afraid they are in the truck somewhere.
LEO could probably find 'em for me.

4321:
He likes the ACOG quite a bit. I had a little tomfoolery in getting it shipped his way, but that's USPS. The seller is a stand-up guy, despite his views on fitness

Now if I could only convince his wife to be a republican....

I've heard of a cop that always finds 2 pot seeds whenever he wants just like magic. Him and guys like him are the reason that you do not want to give permission to anybody to poke around in your car.

The SCOTUS has ruled that a warrant isn't needed for a vehicle, just consent or probable cause.

257wby: I have been driving vehicles for 51 years now and drive more than 95% of the citizens in our United States - I have NEVER been asked to have my vehicle searched.
I have been stopped maybe 6 times in all those many hundreds of thousands of miles of driving - and never received a citation, only warnigs for various minor offenses (bad order tail-lights, headlights etc!).
AND... I do NOT commit crimes or indulge in criminal activities/conspiracies so in the extremely remote possibility of a circumstance where a Law Enorcement Officer of any type asked to search me or my vehicle or my home I would tell them to go right ahead!
This site (24hourcampfire) seems to be getting more and more paranoid and anti-establishment types on it every year - thats NOT a good thing and is quite puzzling to me.
I admit that I go out of my way of recent to buy non-registered firearms (obama and holder proof) as opposed to 4473'ed guns but that is not paranoia nor is it a crime!
This is a thought out and non-criminal policy of mine.
If you are not a criminal (doper, smuggler, burglar, rapist, muderer etc etc etc!) then what possible harm would befall you if you allowed a search of yourself, your vehicle or your home?
Paranoia runs deep - as the old anti-establishment song goes!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

And since I think a warrant requires probable cause, they're either gonna search you on the spot or not. The "I can get a warrant" is just a threat...

If they're really serious about wanting to get probably cause to search your car, they'll bring in a dog.

PS: Or they can always keep you overnight for whatever reason. When they impound the car they can do an inventory - and an inventory is not a search.

I gave consent once.

Stopped by female officer and told her that I had something in my front pocket.

No the other front pocket.....

That is because there is thin line between anarchy and libertarianism and unfortunately, most anarchists believe they're libertarians.

I got nothing to hide and have owned my vehicles for over ten years each. I would let them search but get in writing they will put it back the way it was before said search commences!