Dorm Room Question

cj

cj

Bluelight Crew
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Nov 18, 2008
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I just got moved in to my dorm room. What are my rights as it relates to searchs and seizures. If I kept my pot in a small drawer safe with a key can they force me to open it/ open it themselves? I am not gonna smoke in my room but rumor is they will bring drug dogs around every so often. My other option is to put the bud in the safe in the trunk of my car which is also parked on school property. Can anyone help me?

Its alabama if it matters. state not college.
 
If its on school property, im fairly certain your rights don't apply. They dont in high school because they're unconstitutional, and you probably signed away your rights when you enrolled to the college.

So keep it in a locked trunk or glovebox. if theres nothing else in the car that they find then they have no right to make you unlock it.
 
I would assume that they would need to have a warrant in order to "make" you open your safe. If you're keeping small personal amounts, I wouldn't stress it though. Have you tried to google it or anything? About the laws in your city/state?

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[Have to edit this part - can't give advice about how to break the law in Legal Discussion, and your suggestion crosses this line. Please see the Legal Discussion forum guidelines sticky post. Thanks, Johnny1]

I do believe you still have rights as to being personally searched though. But there won't be too many times at college where the cops are there and don't have probable cause or reason for suspicion already.

EDIT my bad johnny won't happen again.
 
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if you go to school in alabama i can almost guarantee your RA will give the cops the keys to your room.
 
wowitch17 said:
if you go to school in alabama i can almost guarantee your RA will give the cops the keys to your room.
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Yea well out of state tuition is not affordable for my family so im playin the hand I was dealt. But I agree about the ra thing shit sucks I have just decided to keep my stash close at hand so that I can do something with it if an emergency arises. thanks for the help guys.
 
While you may give up certain rights to privacy when living in a college dorm, I'm not certain that the waiver of those rights would extend to a safe in the room. You may still have a reasonable expectation of privacy. That being said, I've never run into such a situation and could not give you accurate advice.
 
wowitch17 said:
if you go to school in alabama i can almost guarantee your RA will give the cops the keys to your room.
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ive heard of this happening...

the rules could vary college to college.... The only way to find out for sure is to ask (sort of sketchy)... or do some research. (There had to be some kind of agreement you signed when you moved in, or documents they gave you explaining this in some detail) Wish I could help, I will look around, but I wouldn't want to give you an answer unless I was 100% sure.
 
I recommend looking into your campus rules as this varies generally from place to place. Generally if they feel a reason to enter, they are permitted to, or at least knock on the door at first and have you let them take a look inside.
 
I am not gonna smoke in my room but rumor is they will bring drug dogs around every so often.

Has this really ever happened or is it urban legend?
 
Yes, this happened some years back at UVM, very controversial. When one lives in a dorm, they surrender many of their rights as the college owns the building. It is NOT "your" domicile.

Personally I would not fuck around in Alabama. Good luck.
 
Missykins said:
I am not gonna smoke in my room but rumor is they will bring drug dogs around every so often.

Has this really ever happened or is it urban legend?
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According to multiple sources it happened last semester twice. My roommate who smokes told me 25 people where arrested and it was in the newspaper ect..
 
I wouldn't stake my future on an Alabama court deciding whether or not a search was constitutional.
 
^^it varies college to college. at purdue, they could open anything, anytime, and you couldn't say shit. Here at UNM, they had to have what basically amounted to a warrant, although issued by the college, not the state or city or whatever, and you had to be present. but they could still search.

BTW, if dogs are what you are worried about, in most states, a dog alerting on a scent is considered probable cause for a search, regardless of warrant. Which is bullshit, because ive seen videos where handlers will talk about training their dogs to alert on command just so they have a reason to search.
 
The cops at my school do random room checks (mainly for alcohol; next to no one does drugs at my school).

They knock on the door. If you let them in, they'll come in and look around but won't open anything. If you don't let them in (and you're present), they let themselves in and search wherever they feel like.
 
forgotten said:
I wouldn't stake my future on an Alabama court deciding whether or not a search was constitutional.
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Yea its funny if I had a gun I wouldnt be worried at all judges down here dont believe the constitution applies to us dirty hippy liberal types.
 
as far as I remember from my dorm semester you have no rights as far as searching goes. They can pretty much search whatever whenever so far as your dorm room.

I always left my shit in my car although I never had anyone search my room. Although it sucks not having your rights you shouldn't have any trouble so long as you don't smoke in your room or drink n get rowdy you should be fine.
 
You guys are amazing thank all of you so much for your time. I was thinking today that I may stick that shit in the freezer. My rational is there are 4 students who share the fridge if my prints where not on the bag we can all stand round pointin fingers yet no one proves shit. Also if the dog alerted on a fridge the cop might be like fucking animal always wantin food or somethin you know? I dunno shit has me trippin cause any amount of weed is a felony for me since I got a charge when i was 18.
 
You sound like an amazing roommate. Can't you just not keep your weed in the dorm?
 
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