Lower Court Holding in Harris v. Florida
Decision of the Florida Supreme Court
When will a drug-detection dog’s alert to the exterior of a vehicle provide an officer with probable cause to conduct a warrantless search of the interior of the vehicle? That is the question in this case, and the answer is integral to the constitutional right of all individuals in this State to be protected from unreasonable searches and seizures. The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides that “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated.” “Searches conducted outside the judicial process, without prior…
