Court Turns Down "Plain Smell" Theory Regarding Marijuana

     To smell marijuana is not the same as to see it, a state appellate panel held in suppressing evidence of a 15-ounce pot stash a man tried to ship to Illinois.   FedEx workers called the police when they sniffed the contraband after accepting the package for shipping.  The police violated the Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable searches when they opened the package, which reeked of marijuana, without first getting a search warrant.


                                 This article is brought to courtesy of the Law Offices of Arna H. Zlotnik.  Criminal defense firm, and search and seizure issues always must be considered in evaluating a case strategy.  Serving the greater Los Angeles area and beyond. 

U.S. Supreme Court Case Load Heavy With 9th Circuit Cases

      



  The U.S. Supremes kick off its new 2011-2012 term with 20 of the 48 cases granted a hearing thus far, 42% of the docket, coming from the 9th Circuit, pushing the court's famous focus on the San Francisco-based appeals court to new levels.  We'll keep a watch on their decisions.
     
       Provided courtesy of the Law Offices of Arna H. Zlotnik.