New York Search & Seizure Law

Search and Seizure Attorney in Orange County, New York

Most drug crimes cases will turn on evidence obtained through a police search and seizure. A police officer may have stopped and searched you on the street, pulled you over in a vehicle or raided your home. In any case where your person or property was searched, police officers must follow very strict procedures to ensure compliance with the law. When an officer violates your 4^th Amendment rights, an experienced attorney can effectively challenge the search and seizure procedures used in your arrest and suppress the illegal evidence from being used against you in court.

Any violation of your search and seizure rights could result in a complete dismissal of your case or the suppression of illegal evidence obtained. When your rights are violated, contact the Law Office of Raymond D. Sprowls to speak with an attorney experienced in New York search and seizure law and to have your specific questions about search and seizure law answered.

Your rights when police search your person, car or home
It is important to know and understand your rights before an investigation, search or raid takes place. No matter what the police tell you, you do not have to consent to a search. If you are under investigation, it does not make any difference whether you are polite and accommodating. You are much better off knowing your rights and asserting them against forceful or intimidating police officers. You should never agree to a search unless there is a warrant.

If you are under investigation for a drug crime, you should consult with a lawyer as soon as possible to protect your rights. I will advise you on how to best protect your rights and minimize the possibility of a conviction in your case.

Search and seizure laws and the expectation of privacy
You should never consent to a search of your own home or car without a warrant. However, there are some places where you do not have the expectation of privacy — for example, a friend's apartment. If you are staying somewhere else, you may not be able to prevent a search, so be careful to protect yourself when you are not in your own home.

Challenging your drug charges and search and seizure law
Understanding search and seizure law is a critical component of an effective and comprehensive criminal defense. Once you become my client, I will begin an immediate investigation to collect evidence and challenge the case that is being built against you. Whether you were arrested for drugs as a passenger in another person's car, you were a victim of an unlawful stop, or a raid, I can aggressively scrutinize the actions of the police in my efforts to protect and defend your legal rights.

If you believe you have been the victim of an illegal search or seizure contact the Law Office of Raymond D. Sprowls for a consultation. I offer strategic, intelligent and aggressive advocacy focused on your rights. Call my Newburgh, New York office today so I can take immediate action in building your defense.

Drug Crimes

Recent Case Results

November, 2009:
Two men were arrested in a car after police claimed they had seen the driver (Mr. Sprowls’ client) throw a quantity of cocaine out the window and on to a city street. At a pre-trial suppression hearing, Mr. Sprowls successfully argued to the judge that the evidence should be suppressed. Once the evidence was suppressed, the D.A. had no choice but to dismiss all criminal charges. The defendant ended up pleading guilty to a speeding ticket!
October, 2009:
A few months after Mr. Sprowls’ client was arrested during the execution of a search warrant, Mr. Sprowls got the felony charges dismissed. The defendant had been found inside an apartment with prescription pills, marijuana, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia in the room next to where the defendant was standing. Mr. Sprowls used his extensive knowledge of search and seizure law and the facts of the case to convince the D.A. that the case could not be proven against his client and persuaded the prosecutor to dismiss the charges.
August, 2009:
The police arrested two boys and charged them with felony Criminal Mischief, claiming the boys had caused damage in excess of $500.00 to a local municipal park. The boys denied the charges. The end result? Mr. Sprowls got the case dismissed in exchange for the boys’ promise each pay only $100.00. The moral of the story? Never accept the word of the police as truth -- they lie and exaggerate just as much as anyone else.
August, 2008
Two men were arrested and charged with Burglary in the Third Degree, a Class D felony. Mr. Sprowls' client had just finished serving 22 years in state prison and was on parole.

Within five weeks of the defendant's arraignment, Mr. Sprowls got the case dismissed and the defendant is a free man.
March, 2008:
A high school-aged boy and four of his friends were arrested and charged with multiple felonies, including Burglary in the First Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree. If convicted of the Burglary Charge as an adult, Mr. Sprowls’ client could have been sentenced to anywhere between 5 and 25 years in state prison. In October, 2008, after extensive investigation and interviews with witnesses, Mr. Sprowls got the case dismissed and his client’s bright future remained intact.
February, 2008
Five people were arrested in a commercial establishment during the execution of a search warrant. The store was a "weed spot" and had been selling to a steady stream of customers for months.

Mr. Sprowls' client was in the common area of the store when the police entered and no marijuana was found on his person.

Within a month of his arrest, Mr. Sprowls got the case against his client dismissed.
December, 2007
Two men were arrested in the City of Newburgh and charged with multiple Class D Felonies, including Grand Larceny in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Third Degree. Mr. Sprowls' client had a lengthy criminal record going back over thirty years with a prior felony conviction. The D.A. was out for blood and insisted that the two men would go to state prison for these crimes.

Of course, Mr. Sprowls could represent only one of the defendants. After investigating the case and researching the applicable law, Mr. Sprowls advised his client to refuse all plea offers and to remain ready for trial.

The co-defendant was subsequently indicted and his case was transferred to County Court where he is looking at a state prison sentence.

Mr. Sprowls' client is now a free man. Because Mr. Sprowls knew the law and the facts of the case, all of the charges were dismissed and the defendant is home with his family.

New York Search & Seizure Law

Search and Seizure Attorney in Orange County, New York

Raymond D. Sprowls, Attorney at Law | Drug Crimes | SEM