Tampa, FL asked in Civil Rights and Constitutional Law for Florida

Q: Yesterday I had an altercation with a police officer where he snatched my phone out of my hand and would not give itback

The original incident was an argument with somebody else who ended up flagging down the cops. When I was told to step out of my car, I was told I was not allowed to use my cellphone with the officer snatched it from my hand and would not give it back. Is that legal?

I’m not sure if I put this in the correct category or not.

1 Lawyer Answer

A: Without a warrant, a police officer during an ordinary dispatch cannot seize and keep your cell phone.

Go to the police station, report what happened to a supervisor, and demand your cell phone back. That could resolve the problem without the necessity of hiring a lawyer to sue for the value of the cellphone

Charles M. Baron agrees with this answer

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