Category Archives: Nighttime search

D.P.R.: PR nighttime search rules irrelevant in federal court

Puerto Rico cases on nighttime search aren’t relevant in federal court. United States v. Pastrana-Román, 2023 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 238527 (D.P.R. March 9, 2023),* adopted, 2024 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 106442 (D.P.R. May 17, 2024).* Defendant didn’t show good cause for … Continue reading

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CA11: QI for FBI SWAT raiding wrong house at 3:30 am

“In Hartsfield, we explained that an officer who makes ‘reasonable effort[s] to ascertain and identify the’ target address of a valid search warrant complies with the Fourth Amendment even if error is ultimately not averted. 50 F.3d at 954-55 (quoting … Continue reading

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E.D.N.Y.: The search of def’s house started about 6:10 am; the camera time hadn’t been adjusted for DST

Defendant submitted that the search of his house started at 5:00 am. The officers and virtually all the evidence showed it started at 6:10 am. The metadata on some photographs showed 5:16 am. The court finds the camera’s time hadn’t … Continue reading

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CA2: District court erred in suppressing a SW executed at 6 am where SW and Rule 41 say 6 am to 10 pm

This search warrant was executed at 6 am, and the district court erred in granting the motion to suppress. “While 6:00 a.m. is the earliest time provided, it cannot be said that executing a warrant in accordance with its text–which … Continue reading

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W.D.Mo.: SW found to have been served after 6 am, but even if not, no prejudice

The court’s credibility determination is that the warrant here was executed after 6:00 a.m., not before. Even if they arrived early, they didn’t enter until 6:00 a.m. “Assuming, arguendo, the officers searched Defendant’s home before 6:00 a.m., the facts demonstrate … Continue reading

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D.Minn.: Def didn’t show prejudice or unreasonableness from execution of SW before 6 am

Even if the search warrant was executed here before 6 a.m., defendant doesn’t show any prejudice by that. A cell phone is not exigency in itself, but here there was at least some risk of destruction of evidence because defendant … Continue reading

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DE: People inside isn’t exigency for nighttime SW

The justification for a nighttime search warrant was insufficient as a matter of law. The mere presence of people in the house is not exigency. State v. Harrison, 2022 Del. Super. LEXIS 302 (July 14, 2022). The USMJ found defendant … Continue reading

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ID: The necessity of a nighttime search authorization can be inferred from the showing of PC as a whole

The request for a nighttime search can be inferred from the affidavit for the search warrant as a whole. “Reading the affidavit as a whole, it is reasonable to infer that the interests of justice were best served by the … Continue reading

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MS: Judicial notice proper that SW execution at 11 pm is not during daylight hours

A court can take judicial notice that execution of a search warrant at 11 pm is not during daylight hours in Mississippi. Doe v. Doe, 2021 Miss. App. LEXIS 473 (Nov. 9, 2021) (only recognizing rule; this is not a … Continue reading

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D.Minn.: This nighttime search was reasonable and not overly intrusive

Nighttime searches can be overly intrusive, but, on balance, this one was not unreasonable. United States v. Jerome, 2021 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 148848 (D.Minn. Aug. 9, 2021):

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N.D.Ohio: Alleged ambiguity in whether nighttime search authorized resolved by all the circumstances in favor of it

It wasn’t obvious that the search warrant did not permit a nighttime search, and it was presented to the state judge at night involving a shooting that night. The circumstances were apparent that the search was to happen then. Moreover, … Continue reading

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N.D.Cal.: Potential for risk of violence justified nighttime search

Defendant’s motion to suppress on several grounds is denied. The affidavit showed probable cause, and the good faith exception would apply anyway. The affidavit for a firearm wasn’t stale; the information about weapons was still “fresh” even though a shooting … Continue reading

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OH2: Nighttime SW approved essentially just because police wanted to search ASAP

The court sustains a nighttime search warrant based solely on the fact that there were some sales of drugs from the house without specifying the time, and that it was “urgent” that the raid happen now for drugs, potential weapons, … Continue reading

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OH6: SW with nighttime search authorization can be executed in daytime, too

A search warrant with a nighttime search authorization can be executed in the daytime, too. State v. Flores, 2018-Ohio-3980, 2018 Ohio App. LEXIS 4307 (6th Dist. Oct. 1, 2018) [Daytime warrant execution is just safer. That’s why there’s a high … Continue reading

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CA5: 2 am knock-and-talk that led to alleged consent and excessive force claim gets no QI

2 a.m. knock and talk may have been unreasonable, and summary judgment for officers is reversed. Plaintiff closed her door and they insisted upon entry. The officers were investigating whether plaintiff’s son committed trespass that night. Plaintiff also stated a … Continue reading

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D.Nev.: Good cause shown for execution of SW at night because of neighborhood children

The government showed good cause for execution of a search warrant at night because of defendant’s house’s proximity to a school on break that would likely have kids around in the day in case the raid became violent. In any … Continue reading

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D.Nev.: Nighttime search clause in SW moot where search was during day

Police showed probable cause for a DNA search warrant in an effort to connect defendant to an armed robbery. The warrant had a nighttime search clause. Since this all happened during daylight hours, any issues with the nighttime clause are … Continue reading

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E.D.N.C.: Post-release supervision home search before dawn wasn’t reasonable

Defendant was subject to home post-release supervision visits conducted at reasonable times. This one was 6:00-6:15 am when sunrise was nearly 7 am. This was effectively a nighttime search of his house and was thus unreasonable. Suppressed. United States v. … Continue reading

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CA9: 4 am knock-and-talk violated implied license of Jardines

Officers came to defendant’s house at 4 am for a knock-and-talk to arrest him. They heard a crashing noise in the backyard and found defendant there. The subsequent search of defendant’s house was presumptively unreasonable and without any lawful justification. … Continue reading

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NY3: Nighttime search was justified, and defendant wasn’t even home

Police justified a nighttime search warrant at defendant’s house. He was a suspect in a robbery with a knife to the victim’s throat where the victim was forced into an apartment. In the ensuing struggle, the victim said the suspect … Continue reading

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