The Supreme Court issued a ruling that law enforcement officers may not extend traffic stops just so police dogs can nose around for drugs. In Rodriguez v. United States (http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/13-9972_p8k0.pdf), the officer pulled over a driver for swerving onto the shoulder of a highway after midnight. The officer questioned the driver and his passenger, ran a records check, and issued the driver a written warning. But then the officer had his drug-sniffing dog circle the vehicle. The dog smelled drugs and led the officer to a bag of methamphetamine in the vehicle. The Supreme Court wrote that this violated the Constitution’s protection against unreasonable seizures because the traffic stop was complete with the written warning. Having the drug-sniffing dog circle the vehicle exceeded the time needed to deal with the reason for the stop.
If you have been subjected to a search by a drug dog or threatened with one, give us a call at 763-421-6366.
