Can police force me to open a locked safe?

[noob314]

If I stash everything into a safe and lock it before I open the door, can they force me to open the safe, and will I get into trouble if I don't? Thanks.

[Frickr]

only with a warrant

[McLeodGanja]

What if ... aherm... you've lost the key or forgotten the combination?

[yhelothar]

If cops knock on your door and ask to come in, it is probably time to destroy your plants or relocate carefully. It just isn't worth the risk anymore.

They can't ask you to open the safe at all if they can't see it because it's behind a painting or under a fake cabinet.

The behind the painting thing is messy because of breaking up drywall, but the fake cabinet is easy if you don't mind cutting up some drawers on an old cabinet.

I wouldn't open it unless they have a warrant. You can also always put a bunch of dust on the safe to make it look like you never open it. So you can pretend to dust it off then 'forget' the combination after you fail it a few times.

[killerweed420]

They have to have a warrant to come in your house and the warrant has to specifically list what they are looking for and where they are going to look for it. If the warrant does not list the safe they have to call the judge to get another warrant to open the safe.

[xcrispi]

If they're gonna bother they'll have secured a warrant first ,
If you don't coop. they'll cut it open w/ a torch . Seen it happen once . Dragged fools shit out in the middle of his front yard and cut it open in front of all the neighbors .
Be a good dog -n- you won't havta worry about crazy shit like this :D
Crispi :jointsmile:

[Myth1184]

They have to have a warrant to come in your house and the warrant has to specifically list what they are looking for and where they are going to look for it. If the warrant does not list the safe they have to call the judge to get another warrant to open the safe.


You watch too much TV, if the warrant list the property as being searched, it means anything and everything in the house, in the cars in the driveway, EVERYTHING.

Warrants dont go into detail such as, The safe in the closet, or the lockbox under the bed. Thats only in television to prolong the story to fit into a hour timeslot.

[McLeodGanja]

Yeah so you get a safe with a hidden compartment.

There you go officer, nothing in there as you can see...

[StOnEdMoNk]

they can only open a safe with a safe warrant so ur safe till they got a warrant

[yokinazu]

i think this is the same as many legal issues, depends on what state you live in. differant states differant laws

[hubrock]

another trick is mail an unsealed envelope to yourself (with somebody else as a return adress) and keep ur stash in it. if u get pulled over, or the cops come in your house, lick and seal the envelope. they cant open your mail, and they cant make you open it.

this is what ive heard anyway.

the way to copywright music in canada is to mail it to yourself, then if you are ever in a dispute, you open it in court (the mail has a date stamp) and you can prove on what date you wrote the song. so if the mail was part of your copywrighting, the cop would ruin your copywright by opening it. i think thats part of why mail is safe.

[420_24/7]

If they have a warrant, they can search your house and your safe.
If you let them into your house, but they don't have a warrant, they can search your house, but unless you give them permission, or they obtain a warrant, they cannot search a locked safe.(I think)
Basically, dont consent to a search, and don't give them a reason to get a warrant.

[Mississippi Steve]

If I stash everything into a safe and lock it before I open the door, can they force me to open the safe, and will I get into trouble if I don't? Thanks.

OK... i am gonna ask the stoopid questions that nobody else has asked in this thread.....

What did you *DO* to get the cops attention in the first place???
They don't just stop in the middle of a street and go knock on somebodys door and ask if they can search for drugs....... WHY are they there??? WHO called them??? WHY were they called???

Usa a little common sense, and act like a responsible adult, instead of a child.....you *ARE* over 18, aren't you??

If you don't put yourself in a position where somebody has to *DO* something about it, then there isn't a problem and the cops will never come knock on your door.

[noob314]

OK... i am gonna ask the stoopid questions that nobody else has asked in this thread.....

What did you *DO* to get the cops attention in the first place???


I didn't do anything. However, right now I'm living at the dorms, and I've recently been snitched on (Got off with a warning), so I have to keep everything safely sealed away if the bastard tries to screw me over again.

[mushaboom]

living in a dorm you dont really have any rights to privacy. the school owns that. you can be searched at any time.

[noob314]

living in a dorm you dont really have any rights to privacy. the school owns that. you can be searched at any time.

It varies from school to school. Where I'm at, the only time they can enter my room is only during emergencies or have probable cause.

[CaptainDankNuggets]

If they dont have a warrant they cant do shit.

[THClord]

living in a dorm you dont really have any rights to privacy. the school owns that. you can be searched at any time.

Dorm here. You've got to play it smart. Without them seeing any physical evidence you can keep them out of your place. You can even get away with smell. You might get written up for noncooperation but it's still better than getting written up for alcohol or weed.

[Mississippi Steve]

I didn't do anything. However, right now I'm living at the dorms, and I've recently been snitched on (Got off with a warning), so I have to keep everything safely sealed away if the bastard tries to screw me over again.

OK, you got snitched on, so you already DID something to get somebody's attention.

Weed DOES NOT MIX with schools, or vehicles. *PERIOD*.

Here if you get caught with weed or toking or paraphinalia within 1000 feet of a school or church, its a FELONY, regardless of quantity, go straight to jail, do not pass GO, do not collect $200.

What you do in the privacy or *YOUR* own home, is you business, anything you do in public(this includes schools/dorms) is subject to scruteny.

If you want to continue to put yourself at risk, then go ahead on.

[noob314]

OK, you got snitched on, so you already DID something to get somebody's attention.

Weed DOES NOT MIX with schools, or vehicles. *PERIOD*.

Here if you get caught with weed or toking or paraphinalia within 1000 feet of a school or church, its a FELONY, regardless of quantity, go straight to jail, do not pass GO, do not collect $200.

What you do in the privacy or *YOUR* own home, is you business, anything you do in public(this includes schools/dorms) is subject to scruteny.

If you want to continue to put yourself at risk, then go ahead on.

Yeah, well, I already caught the guy going around sniffing people's doors one time, when I wasn't even smoking. So I'm pretty sure he's out to bust anyone he can.

I was caught with paraphernalia, and apparently, they couldn't care less. Both the RA and the Campus Security didn't even bother confiscating it or checking for marijuana in my room. As for the hearing, they let me off with a warning. Anyways, I groove on nature now as opposed to my room. There's a lot of wooded areas and bridges around here.

[FakeBoobsRule]

They have to have a warrant to come in your house and the warrant has to specifically list what they are looking for and where they are going to look for it. If the warrant does not list the safe they have to call the judge to get another warrant to open the safe.


if the warrant list the property as being searched, it means anything and everything in the house, in the cars in the driveway, EVERYTHING.

Warrants dont go into detail such as, The safe in the closet, or the lockbox under the bed. Thats only in television to prolong the story to fit into a hour timeslot.

I saw this thread a few months ago and forgot to comment. I think you are both right. It could go either way. It is going to depend on where you live and the crime the warrant is being used to investigate. If you live in a county or jurisdiction that is prosecutor friendly, a warrant for the property would probably be enough. If you live in a jurisdiciton that is defendent friendly, then the warrant should probably list specific items. The crime that is being investigated might also come into play. If they think you might be in possesion of drugs then the safe would be a reasonable area to search. If they think you stole the Mona Lisa and the safe is the size of a shoebox, then it can be argued that the warrant that didn't list the safe should have been off limits because the painting would have never fit in there. But then a smart prosecutor would argue that you had sold it and they were looking for proceeds from the sale. Then you have the whole Fruit of the poisonous tree versus inevitable discovery arguments. Maybe even that the cops were acting on good faith by opening the safe even though it was not specifically listed. So it could probably go both ways open to interpretation depending on the crime, evidence, judge, jurisdiction.


It varies from school to school. Where I'm at, the only time they can enter my room is only during emergencies or have probable cause.

You realize you need probable cause and a warrant to enter a house or probable cause and an exception to the warrant requirement (exigent circumstance) to enter without a warrant. So if they can come into your dorm with just probable cause, you definitely are getting the short end of the civil rights stick living in the dorm.

[fiddyonefiddy]

dorm room you have no rights
its thier property period. they call that probable cause.
if you get a safe that is your property and cannot be opened without a warrant. weight it down with lead,so they cannot carry it out.buddy of mine went to a recycling place for batteries and bought a bunch of plates and put them in the bottom of the safe.
you could not pick it up with four people.

speedy

[luvfriday]

It varies from school to school. Where I'm at, the only time they can enter my room is only during emergencies or have probable cause.

FYI, you have previously posted the school you go to.
Students are cautioned that they will be disciplined for violations of the UCSC Alcohol and Drug Policy. Sanctions for violation of university policies or campus regulations may include restitution, censure, treatment, loss of housing, suspension, and dismissal.

In addition to disciplinary action, students may face drug related legal penalties as described below:

For manufacture, sale or distribution of illicit drugs (a felony): state prison sentence;
For felony distribution or possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance on university property: up to twice the prescribed sentence for the original offense and twice the prescribed parole time;
For simple possession of controlled substances, i.e., narcotics, amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, hallucinogens, etc. (for marijuana see below): civil fines of up to $10,000 per violation, jail sentence, and denial of federal benefits including financial aid;
For possession of less than one ounce of marijuana (a personal misdemeanor): fine of up to $100;
For possession of one or more ounce(s) of marijuana for personal use (a misdemeanor): fine or jail sentence;
For cultivation or possession for sale, or sale of marijuana (a felony): state prison sentence

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Why not lock up your stash, start smoking joints so you can roll one up and take a walk away from your dorm. You must play the rules or learn to not get caught breaking them. Or transfer to Humboldt as soon as possible.

[noob314]

FYI, you have previously posted the school you go to.
Students are cautioned that they will be disciplined for violations of the UCSC Alcohol and Drug Policy. Sanctions for violation of university policies or campus regulations may include restitution, censure, treatment, loss of housing, suspension, and dismissal.

In addition to disciplinary action, students may face drug related legal penalties as described below:

For manufacture, sale or distribution of illicit drugs (a felony): state prison sentence;
For felony distribution or possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance on university property: up to twice the prescribed sentence for the original offense and twice the prescribed parole time;
For simple possession of controlled substances, i.e., narcotics, amphetamines, barbiturates, cocaine, hallucinogens, etc. (for marijuana see below): civil fines of up to $10,000 per violation, jail sentence, and denial of federal benefits including financial aid;
For possession of less than one ounce of marijuana (a personal misdemeanor): fine of up to $100;
For possession of one or more ounce(s) of marijuana for personal use (a misdemeanor): fine or jail sentence;
For cultivation or possession for sale, or sale of marijuana (a felony): state prison sentence

-------------------------------------------------------------
Why not lock up your stash, start smoking joints so you can roll one up and take a walk away from your dorm. You must play the rules or learn to not get caught breaking them. Or transfer to Humboldt as soon as possible.

You're more likely to get off with just a warning though if you get caught here. I do smoke joints now, however, sometimes they're just too rough for me, and aren't as smooth as blunts, which I can't afford to be smoking everyday.

Just last night I was smoking a large joint by myself outside, and I started mistaking things in the dark as some scary shit once I started heading out to the main road after I finished. Never again without friends. :eek:

[Mississippi Steve]

Yeah, well, I already caught the guy going around sniffing people's doors one time, when I wasn't even smoking. So I'm pretty sure he's out to bust anyone he can.

I was caught with paraphernalia, and apparently, they couldn't care less. Both the RA and the Campus Security didn't even bother confiscating it or checking for marijuana in my room. As for the hearing, they let me off with a warning. Anyways, I groove on nature now as opposed to my room. There's a lot of wooded areas and bridges around here.

So put the word out that the guy is a snitch, then help insure that he routinely gets the snot beat out of him until he learns to keep his nose out of other folks business.

[hubrock]

dorm room guy: keep the safe in the trunk of your car.

[daihashi]

dorm room guy: keep the safe in the trunk of your car.

Dorm Room Guy: Do not keep the safe in the trunk of your car (filled with your stash). This is opening an even bigger can of worms that you do not want to get into.