035 Top Priority Podcast | No-Knock Raids

What is the Stand Together Community's position on no-knock raids?
Show: 035 Top Priority Podcast | No-Knock Raids
Date Recorded: January 14, 2021
Host: Duane Lester, Director of Issue Education, Americans for Prosperity Foundation
Guests: Jeremiah Mosteller, Senior Policy Analyst of Criminal Justice Reform, Americans for Prosperity

Show Notes & Timestamps
  • What exactly is a no-knock raid? min [5:01]
  • What does the Constitution require for a warrant? min [5:20]
  • What three instances can be used to justify a no-knock warrant or no-knock raid? min [6:29] 
  • How often are no-knock raids done and the most common situation they are used? min [8:30]
  • If you're concerned about a violent response, why do a violent entry? Couldn't you avoid violence by apprehending the suspect using alternative tactics? min [11:51]
  • How has the use of SWAT changed since it was created? min [13:35]
  • Why worry about suspects destroying evidence if the evidence is drugs? Isn't that still a win? min [15:20] 
  • What has happened in communities or states that banned the use of no-knock raids? min [16:33]
  • How our Community views no-knock raids through the lens of the first mutually-reinforcing principle—Equal Rights. min [20:19]
  • How our Community views no-knock raids through the lens of the second mutually-reinforcing principle—Mutual Benefit. min [23:17]
  • How our Community views no-knock raids through the lens of the third mutually-reinforcing principle—Openness. min [25:27]
  • How our Community views no-knock raids through the lens of the fourth mutually-reinforcing principle—Self-Actualization. min [27:21]

Guest Bio:

Jeremiah Mosteller serves as the senior policy analyst for criminal justice at Americans for Prosperity, where he works alongside our millions of activists and a diverse coalition partners to advance criminal justice reform in 38 states and Congress. Before joining AFP, Jeremiah served on the criminal justice teams at the Due Process Institute, the Charles Koch Institute, and Prison Fellowship. Over his many years in this policy space, he has sought to make the criminal justice system more restorative, effective, and constructive while also upholding the rule of law and proper due process protections. Jeremiah is a graduate of Liberty University School of Law, where he also earned his Master’s in Business Administration. He received his B.S. from Western Carolina University.

Our Vision:

We break barriers that stand in the way of people realizing their potential. This moves our society toward one of mutual benefit, where people succeed by helping others improve their lives.

History demonstrates people are capable of extraordinary things when they have the opportunity to learn, contribute, and succeed. We can transform society by breaking the internal and external barriers that prevent people from realizing their potential, enabling all people to improve their lives and find fulfillment by helping others do the same.

This vision is guided by the following mutually reinforcing principles:

  • Equal Rights A system of equal rights—articulated in the Declaration of Independence—requires respect for the dignity of all people and equality under the law.

  • Mutual Benefit When the values and laws of society respect the dignity of individuals and uphold their rights, people succeed by creating value for others, motivating them to assist rather than harm one another.
  • Openness Equal rights and mutual benefit foster openness by allowing the free movement of ideas, resources and people that generate knowledge, innovation, and opportunity, fueling progress throughout society.

  • Self-Actualization For such a society to exist, its key institutions—education, communities, business, government—remove rather than erect barriers to people realizing their potential and finding fulfillment.  As more people have the opportunity to use their unique talents to succeed by helping others improve their lives, society flourishes.

To realize this vision, we strive to build movements of millions by inspiring and equipping principled social-change entrepreneurs to bring us closer to a society of mutual benefit by eliminating injustice of all kinds. We stand by our principles at whatever cost, with a commitment to unite with anybody willing to dedicate themselves to any of these goals.


Recognizing the magnitude of the task, our efforts are guided by a heightened sense of urgency.  We are committed to continually transforming ourselves and our organizations, constantly experimenting, learning and innovating. As we improve and add to our capabilities, new opportunities open, which point to the need for additional capabilities, and so on, in never-ending cycles of improvement and human betterment.

Stand Together Website