Bee Charmer said:
Does anyone know under what circumstances search
warrants and their results can be sealed? TIA
Good Morning Bee Charmer,
I think the reasons may vary from state to state but the outcome is the same for example there are certain advantages to the State:
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/234/chapter2/s211.html
(1) A copy of the sealed affidavit(s) shall be given to the defendant at or before the preliminary hearing unless otherwise ordered as provided in paragraph (H)(2).
(2) Upon motion of the attorney for the Commonwealth, the justice or judge who issued the warrant, for good cause shown, may delay giving the defendant a copy of the sealed affidavit(s) for periods of not more than 30 days. In no case shall the delay extend beyond the date of the court arraignment.
(3) If the justice or judge is unavailable, another justice or judge shall be assigned to decide the motion.
(I) If the motion requesting any extension pursuant to paragraphs (F) or (H) is granted, the motion and any record of the hearing on the motion shall be sealed and transmitted with the extension order to the clerk of courts. (J) When the order sealing the affidavit(s) and any extensions thereof expires, the clerk of courts shall make the affidavit(s) available for public inspection.
This rule establishes procedures for temporarily sealing the affidavit(s) supporting a search warrant. Ordinarily these procedures would be limited to cases in which an ongoing investigation using, for example, electronic surveillance (18 Pa.C.S. § 5701 et seq.) or an undercover agent, would be jeopardized by revealing the information necessary to support probable cause to obtain a search warrant. Therefore, when determining whether good cause exists to seal the affidavit(s), the justice or judge should consider, for example, whether revealing the information in the affidavit(s) would defeat an ongoing investigation or endanger an undercover agent or informant.