Arrest, Search, Seizure, Warrant Cops Open Door w/o Warrant

[Starfun]

My jurisdiction is: Pennsylvania, USA

I'll start off by saying I'm a 21 year old college student in Pennsylvania. I was out at a party at my friends house where there may or may not have been underage drinking. Around 1am people noticed an officer standing approximately 10 feet in front of the front door. We assumed he was listening for noise and received a complaint. Because of this we promptly turned off all the music in the house and the owner told most of the people to head to the back of the house. Some of us (I assume those over 21) stayed in the living room and hung out. A few moments later we heard a pound on the door from the officers telling us to open up. No one opened the door and we just waited. Then they moved to the next door (which was a glass slider) and pounded on it. Again no one answered.

Next is the part that I question: The officers then proceded to pull open the sliding door and open the blinds and tell everyone to come outside. Are they legally allowed to open the door without a search warrant in the state of PA? Also, once we got outside they were very belligerent and rude; cursing at us and calling us losers and every name in the book. Scare tactics, yet still very unprofessional. Are these things legal or can we fight this in court?

Also, the owner of the house spoke with the officers and told them he did not agreed to them searching his house and they had to get a warrant. Because he did this they made us all wait out in the freezing cold in T-shirts for approximately 1hr. They also cuffed the owner (for what seemed to be no reason). He was never read his rights before or after being cuffed. Is this illegal detainment?

Thanks in advance for the help, please let me know if more information is needed for this case.

 

[raskalnikov]

Were you arrested, and what was the charge?

 

[Starfun]

I was not arrested, they checked all of our IDs that stepped outside, patted us down and told us that we were free to go. After that I believe they got a warrant (within 1-2 hours which was EXTREMELY fast given the time of day) and found some underage kids inside. The entire time though the officers had the owner in cuffs without reading him his rights and were making snide remarks to him and yelling in the front doors at the "people" they believed to be inside. However, the blinds were closed all night and the door is a solid door so there is no way for them to have seen ANY illegal activity. If they received a call regarding a noise disturbance that's fine. However, upon talking to all of us legal drinkers they never once mentioned a noise complaint or told us to keep it down and have a good night.

 

[raskalnikov]

They don't need a phone call about a noise complaint if they can hear it themselves.

The police were probably mad at the owner for not opening the door, thus making them work more.

Police beligerant and rude. It happens.

The police can say there was a crime going on (noise/suspicion of under-age drinking) and then entered for that reason.

Be glad nobody was arrested for contributing to the delinquency of a minor or other possible charges.

 

[CdwJava]

I was not arrested, they checked all of our IDs that stepped outside, patted us down and told us that we were free to go. After that I believe they got a warrant (within 1-2 hours which was EXTREMELY fast given the time of day) and found some underage kids inside.

That's what happens when underage kids party.

The entire time though the officers had the owner in cuffs without reading him his rights and were making snide remarks to him and yelling in the front doors at the "people" they believed to be inside.

Unless they were interrogating him and plan to use his statements against him, they don't have to read him his rights. But, you weren't there (I assume you left after you were ID'd), so you really don't know if they read him his rights or not.

If they were rude, then he can complain to their agency. It's not illegal for a cop to get miffed or be rude ... it might be a violation of policy, but it's not otherwise unlawful.

However, the blinds were closed all night and the door is a solid door so there is no way for them to have seen ANY illegal activity.

I don't suppose the kids going in and out of the house and/or the neighbor complaints had something to do with it.

If they received a call regarding a noise disturbance that's fine. However, upon talking to all of us legal drinkers they never once mentioned a noise complaint or told us to keep it down and have a good night.

I guess the young'uns might find out later when they go to court.

- Carl