Dog Sniff & Missouri Law

   

Police officers in Missouri are allowed to use dog sniffs to locate illegal narcotics. Such canines can be trained to locate a specific illegal substance or multiple types of drugs. Searching using sniff dogs in Missouri follows particular rules that police officers must observe when bringing a sniffing dog at the scene.

General rule

The fourth amendment safeguards people from unreasonable search and seizures. But according to the Supreme court, using sniff dogs during a police stop does not violate the fourth amendment.

The Supreme court, in the case of Illinois v. Caballes, ruled that police officer do not require reasonable suspicion to use dog sniffs during a legal traffic stop. In this case, Roy Caballes was pulled over for overspeeding. The defendant was subsequently arrested for marijuana trafficking after a sniff dog was brought to the scene and alerted his vehicle. The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that the police did not have a probable course for arrest beyond speeding and as such the sniff was unreasonable.

The United States Supreme court, however, overruled the decision. The Supreme Court stated that the police did not require reasonable suspicion to use a sniffer dog since the suspect was under a legitimate traffic stop.

Exceptions for using dog sniffs for searches in Missouri

Conducting searches using sniff dogs under Missouri laws has to follow some rules. Below are the rules police officers must follow when they bring a sniff dog to a scene;

(i) Reason for a stop

It all begins with a traffic stop. Police officers must have a reasonable suspicion that you have violated the law before they can stop you.

Any traffic stop without a valid reason or probable cause is illegal. All evidence, including narcotics discovered by a sniff dog, that has been obtained from an unlawful stop, will not be admissible in court.

((ii) Duration of a traffic stop

Under Missouri law, a person may not be delayed in order for a sniff dog to be brought to the scene after the time for a traffic stop has expired. This means that if by the time a police officer stops you, and finishes writing you a ticket a sniff dog has not arrived at the scene, then you shall not be made to wait for the canine to arrive.

Also, the dog cannot continue sniffing after all the stop-related activities have finished. Any searches conducted after the expiry of the legitimate stop period cannot be admissible.

(iii) Probable cause

If a police officer detains you further without any probable cause, you have a right to ask the police officer if you can leave. If the police officer declines and holds you until the sniff dog arrives, you can refuse to consent to any searches. Opening the car for the sniff dog or giving your car keys to the office, means you have agreed to the search.

If a court determines that there was no probable cause for delayed detention, then both the evidence and the detention will be deemed illegal. Your defense counsel should file a motion to suppress the evidence. If the evidence is declared inadmissible by the court, then you will weaken the prosecutor’s case.

The law, however, states that if a police officer develops probable cause for a crime after a traffic stop, then the officer can detain you for a longer time as may be defined by Missouri law. The evidence obtained from such delayed detention will still be admissible in court.

Drug convictions can have severe implications. If you are facing drug charges that have resulted from searches using dog sniffs in Missouri, you need to consult a criminal defense lawyer.

The Sixth Amendment and Eye Witness Identification

   

The Sixth Amendment and Eye Witness Identification

The procedures of witness identification face many constitutional challenges. The challenges to these procedures are focused on the provisions of the Sixth amendment below.
The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. reads in part; ”In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right… to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense”.

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Alibi Defense in Missouri

   

Alibi Defense

An alibi is a defense in criminal cases whereby a defendant demonstrates that he or she was somewhere else other than the scene of the crime at the time the alleged crime took place. In an alibi, a defendant is simply arguing that it is impossible for him or her to have committed the crime because they were at a different place at the time the crime was supposedly committed. A successful alibi rules out the defendant as the perpetrator of the offense

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THE CRIMINAL DEFENSE OF SELF-DEFENSE IN MISSOURI

   

Self-defense is a criminal defense that can be raised by criminal defendants who inflict serious harm on another person and they believe that they were justified in doing so. This defense can be raised in crimes such as murder, assault, battery and others where the accused responded to the threat of force or violence from the victim. While Missouri laws prohibit the use of force and violence against other persons, they equally allow individuals to use reasonable and proportionate force to protect themselves from imminent harm. Therefore, inflicting serious harm or even killing an assailant may not be considered a criminal act when the defendant reasonably believes that his or her life is at stake.

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Steps to get your Missouri driver’s license back after Alcohol Related Suspension

   

Alcohol Related Suspension

A person whose driver’s license is suspended by the Missouri Department of Revenue may have his or her driving privileges reinstated after the suspension period is served. Under section 302.281 (4) of Missouri laws, there are specific steps that must be completed in order to get a suspended driver’s license back. The requirements may vary based on the nature of the offense and the kind of suspension in effect. Typically, offenses that are deemed greater or severe will have stricter requirements. The following are the steps to follow

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RECEIVING STOLEN PROPERTY

   

Missouri statutes state that it’s an offense to hinder another person’s legal ownership of his own goods in the event that one receives the goods that he or she knows has been stolen or even thinks that the property has been stolen (Lippman & Mathew, 2010). The basis of any prosecution is that one had knowledge or believe that the goods that he or she received were stolen. If he or she has a trail of being in possession of stolen property in more than one occurrence. If one has been in a similar form of transaction in a year prior, then that means he had knowledge of the illegal transaction.

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Right to Speedy Trial in Missouri

   

Right to Speedy Trial in Missouri

The right to a speedy trial ensures that the state brings an individual to trial among bound points in time. There are completely different points in time supported federal law and state law. If the applicable point in time passes, the litigator could assert that his or her right to a speedy trial has been denied which the criminal charges ought to be fired. in addition to guaranteeing the correct to associate degree lawyer, the Sixth change to the U.S. Constitution guarantees a criminal litigator the correct to a speedy trial by associate degree “impartial jury.” this suggests that a criminal litigator should be dropped at trial for his or her alleged crimes among a fairly short time once arrest, which before being condemned of most crimes, the litigator includes a constitutional right to be tried by a jury, that should notice the litigator guilty “beyond an inexpensive doubt.”

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