>1) Do not open your door until they show a warrant. Officers have been know >to use the fact that you opened your door as implied consent to come in. >Once your door is open they can use any number of technical reasons to come >in, such as claiming they could see your ferret or evidence of a ferret. >Even if the reason is legally invalid they can still seize your ferret. Do >not let yourself be intimidated or manipulated. They may try to insist on >you opening the door by sweet talking or threats. But without a search or >arrest warrent you do not even have to talk to them. If the police have a search warrant, it means that they've already been to a judge, shown that they have *some* evidence, and the judge has decided that there's a good reason to do a search, so you must let them in. If the police do not have a search warrant, you do not have to let them in to search your house under any circumstances. Opening your door is not accepted as consent in any court that I know of. >Linda Doran writes to say she doesn't understand what to do with California >F & G's "crimestompers/turn in your neighbor" 800 number. I don't know what >the original poster intended, but here are three possible implications. : >[Fearless Moderator's note: Even if you don't purchase the special option >to receive calling numbers instantly, you'll still get a list of all the >calling numbers with your phone bill. BIG] I guess it's just up to the rest of us to rat on all the F&G personnel who have ferrets, eh? What were those numbers? -- Joyce [Posted in FML issue 1556]