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Simple English definitions for legal terms
anticipatory warrant
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A quick definition of anticipatory warrant:
An anticipatory warrant is a special type of search warrant that allows law enforcement to search a specific location in the future when they have probable cause to believe that evidence of a crime will be there. For example, if the police suspect that someone will be delivering drugs to a certain address, they can get an anticipatory warrant to search the location when the delivery is expected to happen. This type of warrant is based on a written statement, called an affidavit, that explains why the police believe the evidence will be there.
A more thorough explanation:
An anticipatory warrant is a type of search warrant that is issued based on an affidavit that shows there is probable cause that evidence of a specific crime will be found at a particular location in the future. This means that the warrant is not valid at the time it is issued, but will become valid when certain conditions are met.
For example, if the police have reason to believe that a shipment of illegal drugs will be delivered to a specific address at a certain time, they can obtain an anticipatory warrant to search the premises when the drugs arrive. The warrant will only become valid when the drugs are actually delivered to the location specified in the warrant.
Another example is if the police have reason to believe that a suspect will receive child pornography in the mail at a specific address, they can obtain an anticipatory warrant to search the premises when the package arrives. The warrant will only become valid when the package is actually delivered to the location specified in the warrant.
These examples illustrate how an anticipatory warrant can be used to allow law enforcement to search for evidence of a crime that has not yet occurred, but is expected to occur in the future.