In order for the police to search the trunk of your vehicle for marijuana without a warrant, they would need to establish probable cause to believe that marijuana will be found in the trunk. One way for the police to establish probable casuse for the search of your trunk would be to observe marijuana or paraphernalia in plain view inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle. This observation alone would allow police to search the entire vehicle, including the passenger compartment and trunk. A second way would be for the police to detect an odor of burnt marijuana coming from the interior of the vehicle. The odor of burnt marijuana also provides sufficient probable cause to justify the search of the entire vehicle.

Before the police are allowed to search your vehicle for marijuana, there must be a legitimate basis for the police intrusion into your right to privacy. An experienced criminal defense attorney will review all of the evidence in the case for legal loopholes and advise you accordingly. If the police search was illegal, the evidence seized during the course of the search will not be used against you in a court of law.

If you, or someone you know, has been charged with a drug offense in Minnesota or Wisconsin, call Robert J. Shane at (612) 339-1024 for a free phone consultation or visit his website for more criminal defense techniques at www.criminallawyerminnesota.com.