Reno, NV asked in Criminal Law and Civil Rights for Nevada

Q: Legality of search and paraphernalia discovery after tinted window stop and vehicle consent search.

I was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over for tinted windows. The officer searched the vehicle and my personal belongings without my consent, citing that the vehicle was seen leaving a drug-affiliated house. Although the driver consented to the vehicle search, I did not consent to a personal search. The officer found paraphernalia in my purse and charged me with possession with intent to sell. In addition, both of us have prior drug-related charges from a few months ago. No warrant was involved, and the officer's canine alerted on the vehicle but found nothing there. Was the search and subsequent discovery of paraphernalia legal under these circumstances?

Related Topics:

Justia Ask A Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get free answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask A Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between Justia and you, or between any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions and you, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask A Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.