Criminal Nuggets | A Criminal Law Podcast

Illinois v. Caballes, 543 U.S. 405 (2005). SCOTIS Notice (Duration 1:43) This is the SCOTUS case that set the framework for the use of drug dogs in the United States. [insert mp3 player] This opinion normalized the use of drug dogs by police departments during traffic stops. The case concluded that police don't need a warrant when they walk a drug dog around a car during a traffic stop. Issue Do police need a warrant to use a drug dog to sniff a car during a traffic stop? Facts Driver was stopped and ticketed for speeding. During the traffic stop, a canine unit appeared and a dog handler walked the dog around the car. The police dog alerted on the trunk. Police searched the trunk. Driver was arrested for trafficking cannabis. Everything happened in under 10 minutes. He was sentenced to 12 years. Analysis A privacy interest (that society recognizes as reasonable) cannot exist from aromas that come from completely illegal contraband. There is no right to privacy that protects illegal smells. Holding C