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Slippery Slope? (Florida v. Jardines)

November 4th, 2012

In this case, the State of Florida believes that using a drug dog to do a “sniff test” outside of someone’s home without a warrant is legal because the police was not searching within the suspect’s home. If the Supreme Court of the United States rules in favor of the State of Florida, then it seems that the police could argue that doing a drug test to anyone in public or a place outside of a building is legal. The police could argue that anyone on public property or anywhere outside of a building could be searched without a warrant or probable cause.  I believe that this gives the Supreme Court a reason to rule in Jardines favor. I believe that the police should have probable cause to search someone because of the Fourth Amendment. The only way the police should be able to search someone or someone’s house is if they have a warrant, except in the case of a student at school. Since this case could change the warrant procedure and the way police departments work, I believe the Supreme Court has a more than reasonable explanation for voting in favor of Jardines.