A hearing to determine whether jailed Falls Police Officer Ryan Warme will be freed on bail was delayed in federal court on Monday when his lawyer said he needed federal prosecutors to turn over more information to him. U.S. Magistrate Judge Hugh Scott adjoined a detention hearing until Dec. 30 to allow lawyers on both sides to submit arguments over why they were or were not entitled to know the names of witnesses against Warme and the contents of a seized cell phone. In the meantime, Warme will remain in the custody of U.S. Marshals at the Steuben County jail. [continues 783 words]
NIAGARA FALLS -- Niagara County cops are casting a curious eye toward a recent Supreme Court decision that appears to give them broader powers to search vehicles during traffic stops. The ruling said drug-sniffing dogs can be used to check out motorists, even if officers have no reason to suspect they may be carrying narcotics. "We've done that before, where we had a suspicion that the driver may have been transporting drugs," Falls Police Superintendent John Chella said. "I know Customs is doing it on the bridge when they have a back-up. They take the dog out and just let it walk along the cars and see if it alerts." [continues 197 words]
