The Supreme Court today said police officers cannot use drug-sniffing dogs along the perimeter of a house without first obtaining a search warrant. In a 5-4 ruling handed down Tuesday, the high court said the use of police-trained dogs to investigate a home's surroundings constitutes a "search," as defined by the Fourth Amendment.
"A police officer not armed with a warrant may approach a home and knock, precisely because that is no more than any private citizen might do," Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in the majority opinion. That allowance changes, he argued, once police dogs are introduced, because they signal an intent to uncover evidence.
"[I]ntroducing a trained police dog to explore the area around the home in hopes of discovering...
via The Verge - All Posts http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/26/4148804/supreme-court-says-drug-sniffing-dogs-outside-home-unconstitutional
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