Isn’t refusing a police search an admission of guilt?
No. Refusing a search request is not an admission of guilt and does not give the officer the legal right to search or detain you.
Most avoidable police searches don't occur because police have a search warrant or probable cause. They occur because people get tricked or intimidated into consenting to search requests. Police are skilled at using their authority to make you feel obligated to prove your innocence. ("You don't have anything to hide, do you?")
Don't buy it. The 4th Amendment protects your right to refuse search requests. Use it or lose it. If an officer asks to search you, your car, or you home -- you may politely say "Officer, I know you're just doing your job, but I don't consent to searches." Repeat if necessary.
Clip from the DVD, BUSTED: The Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters
