From Roslyn Campbell:
I have an update about Keith. I got an email from him this evening and this is what he said:
“The charges are unlawful possession of my 2 handguns, unlawful possession of my rifle, unlawful possession of my ammo and felony possession of an assault rifle. The cops claimed the third floor tenant called because he did not have heat in his apt, and the boiler just happened to be in my apartment.
I don’t know what the landlord told him.They had no warrant nor did they have my consent. They did not Mirandize me until after 15 hours of no sleep, no food and no water.”
As of this evening he was moved into the inmate population. I am currently still trying to raise money for his defense. I can’t believe how much they violated his rights as a gun owner. They didn’t ask him any questions about the guns, the receipts or anything. They just took him too jail after entering his home unannounced. I’m so angry right now but I have to stay positive and hopeful for his sake. Thank you again for your contribution and I will continue to keep you posted. Please let me know if you come up with any resources that I can follow up on to help him. Thank you!
Best,
Roslyn Campbell
Donate to Keith’s legal defense fund
“The cops claimed the third floor tenant called because he did not have heat in his apt, and the boiler just happened to be in my apartment.”
Just a few questions that come to mind:
Was a boiler technician in the search party or do the New Jersey police do boiler work while on duty?
Why didn’t they to knock on the door first and then inform Keith of the reason for the visit?
What are the terms of his lease outlining the circumstances under which the landlord may enter apartments and what kind of notice has to be given?
This is what judges call a lame pretext for an illegal search and seizure. If the New Jersey judicial community has ever heard of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution, they have to dismiss this travesty of justice. Then Keith’s lawyer should file a lawsuit against the landlord, the owner of the apartment building and the police officers and their department for violation of his Fourth amendment rights.
To answer a few of your questions.
“Was a boiler technician in the search party or do the New Jersey police do boiler work while on duty?”
It is possible that the technician what came to fix the boiler saw the “assault rifle” (I hate that term) and reported it to the landlord who then reported it to the police. This gives the police probable cause to enter his apartment without a warrant. Assault rifles are illegal to own in the state of New Jersey.
“Why didn’t they to knock on the door first and then inform Keith of the reason for the visit?”
The only information we have that suggest there was no knock is from Keith himself. The police and landlord both say there was a knock and announcement.
“What are the terms of his lease outlining the circumstances under which the landlord may enter apartments and what kind of notice has to be given?”
I used to work as an apartment manager. Nearly every lease contains provisions that allow the landlord to enter under certain circumstances, one of them being if there’s emergency maintenance required and access to the apartment is necessary.
To respond to your last paragraph about this search being illegal; it may not have been. If all of this is confirmed true, and the technician did in fact see the illegal rifle, then there was probable cause to enter the dwelling.
Hopefully that cleared some of this up for you.
I need an address to send a check for 300.00.
john
I sent your information to Roslyn Campbell
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