7 02, 2025

OH5: K9 Sniff did not violate Rodriguez and no violation for handler touching vehicle to redirect dog

By |2025-02-07T15:34:45+00:00February 7th, 2025|Narcotics Detection, Ohio, State Court, Vehicle Sniffs|0 Comments

K9 Case Law in Ohio: State v. Bond and Its Impact on K9 Searches State v Bond Officer touching vehicle during k9 sniff to redirect dogs sniffing was not a violation.  The sniff did not extend the stop in violation of Rodriguez. Introduction K9 searches and seizures remain a highly litigated issue in criminal law, especially concerning vehicle searches. The recent Ohio Court of Appeals decision in State v. Bond, 2025-Ohio-360, offers important insights into how courts analyze K9-related Fourth Amendment challenges. This case reinforces established precedents and clarifies key issues, including the duration of a traffic stop, the reliability [...]

6 09, 2024

CA8: Alert style not specified by court to be upheld

By |2025-01-28T19:23:32+00:00September 6th, 2024|CA8, Federal Circuits, Federal Districts, Narcotics Detection, Vehicle Sniffs|0 Comments

United States v. Collier, 2024 U.S. App. LEXIS 22709 (8th Cir. Sep. 6, 2024). "Every dog is unique, and a dog that smells illicit drugs is not required to communicate with its handler in any specific way. … ‘Dogs alert in many different manners. One dog may alert in one manner while another dog may alert in another manner.’ … The reliability of a dog’s alert, not its manner, is what matters. See Holleman, 743 F.3d at 1156 (‘Fourth Amendment jurisprudence does not require drug dogs to abide by a specific and consistent code in signaling their sniffing of drugs [...]

27 08, 2024

TX14: Dog nose crossed the threshold – unreasonable

By |2025-01-29T00:28:19+00:00August 27th, 2024|Narcotics Detection, State Court, Texas, Vehicle Sniffs|0 Comments

State v. Organ, 2024 Tex. App. LEXIS 6279 (Tex. App. – Houston (14th Dist.) Aug. 27, 2024).   Case Analysis: State of Texas v. Courtney James-Varnell Organ Introduction The case of State of Texas v. Courtney James-Varnell Organ serves as a pivotal moment in the ongoing interpretation of Fourth Amendment protections, particularly regarding the role of K9 units in vehicle searches. This case addresses a critical question: Does the intrusion of a narcotics dog into a vehicle’s interior constitute an unconstitutional search? The decision by the Fourteenth Court of Appeals, Texas, clarifies the boundaries of lawful searches and highlights the [...]

13 03, 2024

AR Arkansas: Computer crash losing drug dog’s performance record doesn’t doom search

By |2024-07-29T18:41:55+00:00March 13th, 2024|Arkansas, Narcotics Detection, State Court|0 Comments

AR Arkansas: Computer crash losing drug dog’s performance record doesn’t doom search The loss of the drug dog’s performance record from a computer crash didn’t make the dog’s alert on the highway unreasonable because those records are of marginal importance. The circuit court resolved credibility questions. Whiting v. State, 2024 Ark. App. 176 n.2, 2024 Ark. App. LEXIS 179 (Mar. 13, 2024). The team had also recently certified and the court made reference to this fact as well.

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