Can police search individuals on premises if they hold a warrant for the premises?

When police obtain a warrant to search a premises, the scope of that search is generally limited to the area specifically described in the warrant. This means that if the warrant allows them to search the premises, they are permitted to search the areas within that premises for items specified in the warrant.

However, the search does not automatically extend to individuals present on the premises unless those individuals are specifically named in the warrant. The Fourth Amendment protects individuals from unreasonable searches and seizures, and unless an individual is mentioned in the warrant, there needs to be a clear legal basis, such as probable cause, for the police to conduct a search on that person.

While police may have reasonable suspicion or probable cause to believe that individuals encountered during the search are involved in criminal activity, this does not grant them automatic right to search those individuals. Without an explicit mention of the individuals in the warrant, a separate justification or warrant specific to the individuals would be necessary.

Thus, as per the guidelines outlined regarding warrants and searches, individuals who are present but not named in the warrant are not subject to search unless there are additional legal grounds for such action, making it clear that police cannot search them without further justification.