A Criminal Lawyer In Madison Explains What Constitutes Probable Cause For Conducting Dog Sniff Searches In Wisconsin

As we mentioned in a prior blog post, motorists are protected from unreasonable searches and seizure unless the officer has probable cause for doing so. If he or she has probable cause, a search may be legally conducted. This includes dog sniff searches to look for drugs that may be present in the vehicle.

But what constitutes probable cause in this situation? In the case of dog sniffing searches, probable cause can include anything that might tip off the officers that drugs are in the car. This may include:

• Smell or odor or drugs emanating from the vehicle.
• Evidence of drugs or drug paraphernalia in sight within the vehicle.
• Other suspicious behavior.

Every situation is different. In some cases, the odor may be enough to warrant probable cause. In others, the officer may need more evidence before there is enough probable cause to justify a search.

Reasonable Suspicion Must Exist

Whenever a driver is stopped, searched, and arrested, one of the first defenses a criminal lawyer will try will be to claim that the evidence uncovered in the search was obtained illegally. That is to say, that there was no reasonable probable cause to warrant the search that uncovered the evidence and therefore, the evidence should be thrown out.

Mount A Defense To Dog Sniff Searches With Help From A Criminal Lawyer In Madison

If you have been charged with a drug crime as a result of evidence obtained during a dog sniff search, contact a criminal lawyer at Madison’s Eisenberg Law Offices for a free consultation. It’s possible your search was improperly conducted and there may be ways to suppress the evidence against you and have your case dismissed.

Call us at 608-256-8356 or request a consultation online to discuss your case.