Q: If I live on a large ranch that has 4 different addresses on itcan my house be searched if a warrant is served next door
One big ranch property with 4 different homes with different addresses if they come to search one house can they search all the houses on the property?
A: The search warrant must state the address of the property to be searched with specificity. No judge should approve any warrant that allows for a blanket search of a large ranch except in language which clearly states what is to be searched. It would also depend on the nature of the criminal activity which supports the probable cause to issue the warrant in the first place. A frequent source of problems with law enforcement stems from search warrants being served on the wrong property or where the police mistake the correct property to be searched. Just recently there was a case involving a lot of innocent deaths caused by this exact problem, where the property owners were trying to protect themselves from cops who served the search warrant on the wrong property.
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