08-19-2020, 02:20 AM
Here's a little anecdote.
One time I found a guy's wallet in the street. I found his number in the phone book but it had been disconnected, so I took it to the police station. They made me fill out a lengthy "found property" report.
Several months later I got a subpoena to testify in court. Inside the wallet the police found photographs of unconscious women in various states of undress and it led to a search warrant and bigger finds in his house. I never "went through" his wallet, I just put a rubber band around it and took it to the police station. The public defender called me as a witness because he was using a 4th amendment defense and if I didn't see the photographs then the police shouldn't have either according to his argument. The judge dismissed the argument and the evidence was allowed to stand for trial.
One time I found a guy's wallet in the street. I found his number in the phone book but it had been disconnected, so I took it to the police station. They made me fill out a lengthy "found property" report.
Several months later I got a subpoena to testify in court. Inside the wallet the police found photographs of unconscious women in various states of undress and it led to a search warrant and bigger finds in his house. I never "went through" his wallet, I just put a rubber band around it and took it to the police station. The public defender called me as a witness because he was using a 4th amendment defense and if I didn't see the photographs then the police shouldn't have either according to his argument. The judge dismissed the argument and the evidence was allowed to stand for trial.