「警察來了，快跑」：緊急搜索之難題──評臺灣桃園地方法院103年度易字第1143號判決

“Run! The Cops Are Coming! ”: The Dilemma of Warrantless Searches: Comments on the Decision of Taoyuan District Court Yi No. 1143 (2014)

緊急搜索屬於令狀原則之例外，又未經相對人同意，其發動要件及執行範圍應如何拿捏，極具學理及實務上重要性。本文以一則罕見的警員被訴違法搜索罪之實際案例，檢視歷審判決認事用法是否妥適，並介紹美國法關於緊急搜索之實務見解。法院於事後進行緊急搜索之合法性審查時，應注意「相當理由」並未要求過半之心證門檻，且法官必須綜合考量執法者臨場判斷之侷限性與容錯性。文末亦建議立法者應儘速修正現行法關於緊急搜索之規範，以兼顧人權保障與犯罪偵查之需求。

Warrantless searches are strongly restricted by the Criminal Procedure Code due to its randomness nature. However, the Criminal Procedure Code recognizes a limited scope of warrantless searches, including exigent circumstances such as forestalling a suspect’s escape or the destruction of evidence. This paper analyses and comments on an unusual criminal case which involving 4 policemen being indicted of conducting unlawful warrantless searches. This paper underlines that a warrantless search based on probable cause should be justified and upheld, while the court is not in a good position of second-guessing. Finally, the author argues both the district court and the high court have made flawed decisions by inappropriate interpretation of warrantless searches, and recommend the current sections of warrantless searches under the Criminal Procedure Code ought to be modified.