Jacob Sullum on How a Sensitive Dog Is an Evidence-Impaired Cop's Best Friend
When your dog sits, you may have nothing to show for it. But when police dogs sit, they accomplish something important for their handlers, signaling the presence of illegal drugs and justifying searches that would otherwise be prohibited by the Fourth Amendment. Jacob Sullum says two cases the Supreme Court heard last week offer an opportunity to impose long overdue restraints on this amazing ability to transform a cop's hunch into probable cause.