When They Don’t Need a Warrant
(May 13, 2010) Police don’t need a warrant if the person living in a residence grants them permission to search. Consider the case of Chris Grumbine. He and three friends smoked some marijuana in Grumbine’s dorm room on the Humboldt State campus when he decided to light some incense. “I wasn’t trying to cover up the smell,” he said. “I just like incense.” Not long after, he heard a knock at the door. It was a dorm advisor to remind him that the housing policy didn’t permit incense. The smell of marijuana was obvious when he opened the door, and the advisor told Grumbine and his friends to stay put while he called the police.
Two officers arrived within minutes, and Grumbine gave them permission to enter. They took his pipe, sat on his desk and looked at the now-empty jar he kept his weed in. When they asked him, Grumbine let them search through his desk drawers, although they didn’t find anything.
From start to finish the process took about an hour, and Grumbine was given a warning.
Campus and housing officials say that campus searches occur several times a week on average. Warrants are rare, though, because students often allow officers into their room; the perception is that consequences will be worse if they don’t cooperate.
Most times, a student’s first offense will result in disciplinary action from housing, and the police don’t file charges. That’s what happened with Grumbine.
“It was a slap on the wrist experience, and stays with the school,” Grumbine said. “If it happens again though, you get kicked out of housing. They took my pipe, though.”
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44th Annual Kinetic Grand Championship Race
STAFF PICK / events, art, outdoors, sports, for kids, free / 9 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day, 42-mile kinetic sculpture race over land, sand, mud and water! LeMans start at the Noon Whistle on the Arcata Plaza. Follow the race through Manila, Eureka and into Ferndale on Memorial Day for the Glorious Finish. kineticgrandchampionship.com. 889-3024.
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TWO Comments
Comment / By Fadi Basem / May 13, 5:41 p.m.
Bummer, dude.
Comment / By elvis / May 20, 2:39 a.m.
i can’t believe they actually put this in the locale paper…are they hard up for story lines…oh gee…and they took his pipe…that certainly means he will never do that again…right chris…