Drug task force

Officer Landonio is now on the drug task force. He and three other officers have to serve a search warrant regarding a stolen 50-inch plasma television set. He serves the search warrant and walks into the residence with the three officers. Sitting on the coffee table is a variety of narcotics, both prescription and illegal. What are his options at this time?

During the search, one officer opens a kitchen cabinet and finds a kilogram of cocaine. Can Officer Landonio take this as evidence and arrest the residents? Why or why not? What would be the next step in this process?

Check the laws in a U.S. state of your choosing and the requirements of arrest warrants. Be sure to use references and citations in your material.

Assignment Guidelines

Address the following in 3–5 pages:

• Can Officer Landonio take the cocaine as evidence? Why or why not?
• Assuming that the residents of the dwelling are present, what are Officer Landonio’s options upon finding the prescribed and illegal narcotics on the table? Explain.
  • What actions will he be required to take by law? Explain.
    • You will need to fabricate the details or at least address multiple possibilities for this case.
  • How does discretion come into play in this case?
  • How can nonresidents present in the dwelling be handled? Explain.
    • With what can they be charged if arrested? Explain.
• If the residents are arrested, what are the next steps in the process? Explain.
• Can drug courts come into play regarding this case? Why or why not?
• Typically, when will drug law offenders be fined, and when will they be incarcerated? Explain.
• Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.

When complete, submit your assignment.

The following grading rubric will be used for this assignment.

here is our course textbook for reference: Abadinsky, H. (2017). Drug Use and Abuse: A Comprehensive Introduction (9th Edition). Cengage Limited.

Also my state is Texas if this helps

Answer preview

The answer is yes. Possession of cocaine is illegal, and it can lead to seven-year imprisonment with an ultimate fine. Cocaine possession is a much more serious offense and should be handled seriously (Folberg, 2020). Officer Landonio should take the kilogram of cocaine as evidence. Evidence seized in plain view does not require a warrant of search. The Fourth Amendment forbids police officers from conducting irrational searches and seizures. However, searches, seizing, and holding possession of evidence can occur without warrants because either the search is reasonable under the circumstance, due to a lack of privacy, or the evidence was displayed in plain view.

Officer Landonio’s Options Upon Finding the Prescribed and Illegal Narcotics on The Table

The search is usually valid during a search if the owner of the premise freely and voluntarily agrees to the search. However, the court does not necessarily require police officers to ask for permission to search every room so long as there is a reasonable suspicion that the alleged individual may be engaged in criminal activities. Based on our case, officer Landonio is supposed to perform what’s known as a protective sweep if they have reason to

[1070 Words]