Tag Archives: Florida vs. Harris

Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Florida Supreme Court in the 2006 K9 narcotics detector case of Florida vs. Harris.  Siding with the trial court, the Supreme Court ruled that K9 training and testing documentation are sufficient trial evidence to support the probable cause of a drug dog’s alert.  The Florida High Court had ruled that the State must provide “an exhaustive set of records, including a log of the dog’s field performance, to establish the dog’s reliability.” The Supremes disagreed and cited Illinois vs Gates 642 U.S. 213-239 (1983):  “Finely tuned standards such as proof beyond a reasonable doubt or by a preponderance of the evidence have no … Continue reading →