Legal Question in Constitutional Law in Arizona

My girlfriend ordered a pizza the other night i was in bed asleep as well as our other roomate. I woke up to my dogs barking and screaming my house was then filled with screaming police officers and i was thrown to my floor at gun point i asked if they had a search warrant and identified myself as the home owner. I was told that they didnt need a search warrant and to shut up or I would be shot. Then a officer threatened to shot my dogs I asked several times if I could kennel the dogs my roomate was drug from his bed and cuffed as well. After several threats of physical harm to me my roomates and my animals they allowed me to put the dogs into a room. We where then hauled outside cuffed where my girlfriend lay on the ground crying she had been tackeled and pulled out of the door way ..weeks after her vertebrete replacement surgery. She did however shut the door as they pulled her out of the home. Several officers searched the house and still no search warrant. They asked for our names ssn ect. Hazmat searched the house and declared it clean. Still no warrant. We where each questioned and I was placed in a cop car. Four hours later a judge issues a warrant to search my home for business customer records, mail records, ownership records, personal identification, cash, ect. But the cops had already searched the home without permission. They took all my computers computers parts state and federal id's money order for my rent and several customer records for my registered business. No charges have been filed but they told me that I would be getting a summons in the mail for identity theft. what should I do and am I correct that it is a illegal search and seizure?

the police later informed me that they assumed that the pizza was being paid for with a stolen credit card

which was wrong


Asked on 9/09/09, 7:44 am

1 Answer from Attorneys

Joan Bundy Joan Bundy Law

It sounds like maybe the police screwed up and got the wrong household? They don't necessarily need a warrant if there is some exigent circumstances like reasonable fear of destruction of evidence or fleeing suspect(s), but I'm not sure anything like that was at issue here. Can you provide some more information about why they may have targeted your residence?

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Answered on 9/17/09, 1:02 am


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