My question involves search and seizure law in the State of: CA
Great service, everybody....thank you.
This is a two part question....the other part involves parole/probation, and will be posted in that forum....
A 21 year old friend of mine served 6 months for possession and intent to sell, and has been out since October, with 5 years (I think) of probation. He can't drive, and has been very good about having his friends take him where he needs to go.
The car was stopped by our rather incompetent police department about 3 months ago for an "illegal exhaust", which it turns out is noisy, all right, but legal....no action was taken
It was stopped again two nights ago...same reason: only this time it led to a search of the car (have no idea why -he wasn't driving- the police just know the car)...nothing was found beyond one of those "brand name" cans you can hide stuff in (empty), but the police brought in the canines, who couldn't find anything either (there wasn't anything to find)
Bottom line....he got a ticket for a H&S violation (concealed compartment in the car.....the can), and they took his money, his cell, and his car "as evidence".......without so much as a receipt.
The next morning, he went to the station with his boss, who explained that the money was his pay for the week....got no explanation beyond the "evidence in an investigation", and no money.
Is there something wrong with this scenario, or am I just too ignorant of the law to understand that the police can pretty much harass anybody, for any reason?

