Are cops allowed to just walk into a motel room without knocking and hand out tickets for underage drinking?

the cops then kicked us out of the room after we paid for the night and we were forced to sleep 6 people in the car. I believe that my civil rights were violated.

Your civil rights were not violated.

You were committing a crime, so they had probable cause to enter the hotel and bust you. Now had you been sleeping and not BREAKING THE LAW, you may have a case.

you broke the law so they dont care about your "civil rights" Maybe next time you will be more responsible. Stop looking to blame the cops, whatt happened to you is called "consequenses"♥

I believe they were not.

Edit: Your civil rights, I mean.

If the motel manager, or desk clerk was suspicious and informed the police of his/her suspicions, the police did not violate any civil rights in just walking in. There is no expectation of privacy when you are committing a crime in a public place. A motel room is a public place

They are allowed to enter the room if they suspect illegal activity and the hotel lets them in.

The hotel has the right to allow the cops into any room they choose, since the room belongs to them.

sober up, spend some of that hotel money on a few books about the 1960s and learn what "civil rights" actually means...

The hotel called on you. Still, you had rented the room for the night and the 4th and 14th amendments apply. They had no right to just walk in on you. You had an expectation of privacy.

But, and a strong but, if the management called about a loud party, the officers could stand outside, hear the loud party and knock on the door. Then when the door was opened, it would be considered an invitation to enter. Then they would see violations and have to deal with them.

If the motel management called them, yes. I doubt if they were just crusing motels looking for underage drinkers by themselves.

your were wrong and your lucky thats all they did.

no violations there

yes they are...they only need warrants to SEARCH houses....

I believe if you are under the age of 21 you have no civil right to drink. Sorry. If you're breaking the law the cops can give you a ticket. And why sleep in a car? Don't you have a home to go to? If not, then find one.

no. if you paid for the room then it serves as your house, subject to all fourth amendment rights. they would have needed a warrant to just come in. however, if someone answered the door, they probably smelled or saw alcohol and/or minors in the room, they would have authority to come in due to plain view exceptions. this is especially true if the person answering the door was intoxicate, underage, or let them in. hotel mgmt does not reserve right to let them search room if you rented it. your story does not provide enough information to say for certain.

If the police have reason to believe a crime is being committed, they can enter the room without warrent. A motel is not a safe haven for kids binge drinking. The motel probably got complaints from your neighbors.

This is the problem with many teens: drinking, partying, being loud without care or concern for those around you. Then: surprise, you get busted. Next time, be sneaky; you'll get away with it. I always did.

Yes We can come in and give you a ticket for underage drinking!

If the hotel has some posted warning regarding bad behavior and the right to eject anybody breaking the law, then they can call cops and have you ejected.

Strange you weren't arrested or at least taken to a precinct to be held until your parents showed up. Instead, knowing that you've been drinking they let you end up back in your car? Amazing - I'd love to see the look on those cops' faces if you mowed down a family of 28 and then blew BAC's of .33. How could they respond to that? "Well, they were just drinking, so we kicked them out of the hotel and put them in a car. We figured the hotel wou;d be safer with these guys on the street."

Amazing.

"I believe that my civil rights were violated."

Unfortunately, when the Constitution was signed, the Bill of Rights had an Amendment allowing each and every man the right to be free of not having to sleep in their car with six other underage drunks; but a delegation of Teamsters from some place called Detroit, arrived and broke both of Thomas Jefferson's legs before the amendment could be ratified.

So, you're out of luck.

Stop complaining. The cops didn't hurt and they didn't take you to jail...which they could have. You made a choice to break the law and you got caught. Pay the fine and thank God you live in a country where the cops didn't rape you, kill you, and then drink you booze.