Legal Question in Criminal Law in Virginia

I was pulled over for no apparent reason other than the police thought I was going somewhere I wasn't. A dog was brought to check my car but did not hit anywhere. It then checked me and it did hit. Nothing on me, just where I had been around drugs within a 48 hour time frame. They told me that because the dog hit on me, it gave them probable cause to search the car. Still didn't find anything. Was this legal?

Asked on 6/07/18, 9:55 pm

Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

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The stop itself would appear questionable without the officer articulating at least a reasonable

suspicion to legally justify it, but, as for the search itself, after a trained "drug dog" does an alert

or "hit" under the circumstances described, the cops would then have the probable cause

necessary to search your vehicle over your objection.

Office Tel. (703) 838-5577

Answered on 6/18/18, 8:01 am

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