SCOTUS to hear case on drug-sniffing dog and warrant requirements

[thewayne]

Case in Florida where a drug-sniffing dog, outside of someone's house, alerted, so the cops got a warrant and raided the house, finding drugs.

The issue is whether the dog was an unreasonable detection device. There were cases in California where police used thermal imaging cameras to detect hot rooms in residences where people were using heat lamps to grow pot. It was ruled to be an invasive search mechanism and the cases were thrown out. The defendant is claiming that the dog is a similar such device.

A comment posted the obvious counter-move: toss unused/scrap/dregs marijuana in front of other people's houses to increase the rate of false positives. I'd be sure to include the houses of the mayor and police chief if I did such a thing.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/01/scotus-dog-sniffing-case/

Comments

[silveradept]

In addition to the obvious countermove, the question really is whether a drug-sniffing dog making an alert is sufficient evidence to then ask a judge for a warrant. Which makes me wonder how fallible those dogs are.