2015 Delaware Code
Title 16 - Health and Safety
CHAPTER 33. PURE FOOD AND DRUGS
§ 3318 Complaint of violations of § 3317; procedure for entry, sampling and testing; costs; certificate as evidence.

(a) If any person makes complaint in writing, verified by oath or affirmation before any justice of the peace or other court having criminal jurisdiction, alleging that the complainant has probable cause to suspect and does suspect and believe that any person, by that person's own self or by that person's servants or agents, has sold or offered or exposed for sale or has in that person's own possession with intent to sell, any meat or flesh of any animal to be used for food which has been treated with or which contains any drug or preparation as mentioned in § 3317 of this title, and in the complaint describes such meat as particularly as may be and designates the house or place where complainant suspects and believes such meat or flesh is kept or sold and the name of the persons suspected, the justice of the peace or such court may, within the limits of the justice of the peace's or its jurisdiction, issue a warrant to search such house or place.

(b) The warrant shall be directed to any officer or to any other person by name for service and shall recite the essential parts alleged in the complaint, and the officer or other person to whom it shall be directed for service shall proceed thereunder as provided in subsection (c) of this section.

(c) The officer or person to whom the warrant is directed may enter the house or place designated and, if the officer or person finds therein what the officer or person believes to be any meat or flesh such as is described in § 3317 of this title, the officer or person shall take a sample or samples for the purpose of having the same analyzed or tested as provided in this section. To obtain such sample or samples the officer or other person to whom the warrant is directed may cut pieces from any such meat or flesh by the officer or person believed to be treated with or containing any drug or preparation within the meaning of § 3317 of this title. The officer or other person to whom the warrant is directed, when taking a sample or samples of meat or flesh, shall then and there divide the samples into 2 parts as nearly equal as may be, wrap the parts in separate packages, seal the same and offer 1 of the parts to the person in whose custody the meat was when taken with a written notice of the time, place and date, when and where the sample was taken, and that it was taken for the purpose of analyzing or testing it. The other part of the sample, together with a written copy of the written notice, shall be delivered by the officer or other person to whom the warrant is directed to the State Chemist, who shall cause the same to be analyzed or otherwise satisfactorily tested, the result of which analysis or test the State Chemist shall record and preserve as evidence.

(d) The officer or other person to whom the warrant was directed shall, within 1 week after delivery to the State Chemist, return the warrant with officer's or other person's proceedings thereunder and the costs and actual expenses endorsed thereon to the justice of the peace or court, the costs to correspond in amount as nearly as may be with the costs to which an officer serving a search warrant would thereby be entitled.

(e) After the sample has been delivered to the State Chemist, the State Chemist shall, with all convenient speed, analyze or test the same and upon the completion thereof shall forward to the Attorney General a certificate of the result thereof, duly verified by oath or affirmation, and the certificate so verified shall be admitted as evidence in any prosecution under §§ 3317 and 3319 of this title.

(f) The provisions of this section relating to searches and seizures shall be subject to Chapter 23 of Title 11. If there is any conflict or inconsistency between this section and such chapter, the latter shall prevail.

23 Del. Laws, c. 212, § 2; Code 1915, § 3525; Code 1935, § 4005; 16 Del. C. 1953, § 3318; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;