The police may not necessarily act with impunity when it comes to searching or seizing your property. If the police are called to your premises or if they pull over your vehicle, there are a number of rules and regulations that govern how they must go about the search process. If they fail to uphold these rules and regulations, it could tank the case against the accused person before it even begins.
There are laws that prevent illegal search and seizure, but how do you define a search and seizure? The first step is in regards to the privacy of an individual, and their reasonable expectation of it. If the person expected a degree of privacy when the police searched their home, for example, and that expectation is reasonable then the police performed an illegal search and seizure.
Having said that, there are certainly situations where the police can search your home or property regardless of your reasonable expectation for privacy. For example, if they have a search warrant, then the police have the legal right to enter and search your premises regardless of your objections. Similarly, if you consent to the police entering and searching your home, then you have forfeited your right to object to the search and the police can search the premises.
The protection from an illegal search and seizure is a very important right that everyone in the United States needs to be aware of.
Source: FindLaw, “Illegal Search and Seizure FAQs,” Accessed Jan. 25, 2017