Questions about the UK

[philip]

Heres a link to the story about Mick Jagger. In the story they said they had a warrant. In the US I would think you would need a witness coming forward to get a warrant or a sale at the home by an undercover agent.

http://www.talkleft.com/story/2004/02/23/711/16467

I believe the same officer also raided George Harrison and Kieth Richards.

[Mattk]

"Marianne, Marianne, don't open the door. It's the police. They're after the weed."

Pretty decent evidence to just bust them right there and then.

[nthfinity]

Originally Posted by Mattk "Marianne, Marianne, don't open the door. It's the police. They're after the weed." Pretty decent evidence to just bust them right there and then.

so, why is it they came to the door to begin with? That would fall under entrapment here...

[Mattk]

Well, they had a warrant, didn't they?

[nthfinity]

Originally Posted by Mattk Well, they had a warrant, didn't they?

after already trespassing without cause.

[Mattk]

^How were they trespassing? They were stooging around outside the house. The warrant was shown to Jagger. Totally above board. The warrant may not have been bona fide, and given policing tactics of those days, it probably wasn't bona fide, but nothing in the story suggests that.

[lincoln]

Originally Posted by philip Next question, do the police need a warrant issued by a judge showing probably cause, to enter and search you home. Or can they simply present themselves at your door and search you house?

In a word, NO!

Ths is from the Times July 20, 2008

"There are more than 1,000 laws and regulations which permit officials to force entry into homes, cars and business premises, a report commissioned by Gordon Brown has found.
The publication of the first comprehensive list of laws available to police, council staff and other inspectors will renew concerns about the erosion of civil liberties."

The Times, April 23, 2007

Harriet the Cow must have been surprised when at 9:30am on January 10 her peaceful field in Herefordshire was invaded by ten government officials and 12 police officers. This hit squad had erected a road block to seal off the area and used bolt-cutters to force their way into the enclosure. They had not asked permission to enter, nor did they need to. Under the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Regulations 2006 - one of the State’s 266 statutory powers to enter private property - they were perfectly within their rights to force their way on to private land without the occupier’s consent and without a magistrate’s warrant.

I could go on and on but you get the idea. At least I'm still free to write this (looks nervously over his shoulder).

[Mattk]

One would have thought the owner rather relieved at the alacrity with which the authorities responded to the potential threat of the transmission of bovine spongiform encephalitis, which when manifested in humans can result in the crippling Creutzfeld Jacob Disease.

But whatever happened to manners? Power or no power, it's pretty rude to just barge in. If they'd bothered to tell the owner that he had a potentially diseased cow in his possession, he'd be more than willing to assist.