The newly famed Clown Robbers may be from Aurora. Two young men from Aurora, Colorado were stopped by Utah police for speeding and in their car they had over $400,000.00 worth of jewelry and a loaded gun, according to CBS Denver. The men gained their notoriety from allegedly committing an Aggravated Robbery at a local jewelry store on Colorado Avenue in Denver, Colorado. Clearly, there was a motor vehicle search.
Colorado law allows for motor vehicle searches with the permission or consent of the driver of the car. The officer could have asked for permission to search the vehicle and the Aurora men allowed him to look. The police also could have gained access to the car through a protective sweep of the passenger area to ensure their safety during the stop. Finally, police could have searched the car following an arrest, for inventory purposes. Once the officer saw any of the stolen items in plain view, courts will generally support a more expanded search. When the officer saw the jewelry and the gun, he could have concluded these two were somehow related to an armed robbery. Constitutional Fourth Amendment Search and Seizure law governs the search of a citizen’s motor vehicle.
The United States Constitution and the Colorado Constitution give you the right to be secure with your possessions. In other words, the police and government are usually not able to just come into your house in Aurora and try to gather evidence against you without a warrant. This constitutional protections extends to your motor vehicle, as well.
You need to use caution when the police have stopped you in your vehicle. If an officer asks you for permission to search your car, it is within your legal right to tell them “no.” We believe this is always the best course. It is also within your legal right to be silent if you are arrested or asked questions. For the overwhelming majority of the time, when a police officer is asking you questions about an incident you are involved in, they are going to use your words against you later. You have no idea what statements will hurt you, so be silent.
The best thing that you can do when asked questions about a crime is to remain silent and contact a Denver criminal defense attorney. At the O’Malley Law Office, P.C., we have fervently been protecting people’s constitutional rights, and defending people against allegations of Robbery in Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson and other Colorado Counties for over 18 years. If you or a loved one has been contacted by the police regarding a Colorado Robbery accusation or for anything else, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and call the O’Malley Law Office, P.C., at 303-731-0719. Together we can protect your future.