Excerpt from Attorney Ralph Behr’s Book. Street Smarts- Criminal Law 1.01 – Search and Seizure. Can the Police Search Me on Someone’s Lie?

SEARCHES

100 ‘most asked ‘ questions

CAN THE POLICE SEARCH ME ON SOMEONE’S LIE?

Yes.

It happens all the time.  Someone angry with you calls the police and piles on a heap of lies.  The police can search and arrest you based on someone’s lies.

What can you do?

If the police act on a “confidential informant” or a “citizen informant” the search is subject to suppression if the search does not meet legal standards.

If the search is unlawful it will be thrown out.

The test is:

1. basis of the informant’s knowledge
2. veracity
3. credibility
4. reliability
5. the totality of the circumstances.