By 5-4, an Odd Mix of Justices Ruled a Florida Search That Started Without a Warrant Was Unconstitutional. WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court, in an usual alignment of justices, ruled Tuesday that police cannot take drug-sniffing police dogs onto a suspect's property to look for evidence without first getting a warrant for a search. The court split 5-4 on the decision to uphold the Florida Supreme Court's ruling throwing out evidence seized in the search of Joelis Jardines' Miami-area house. That search was based on an alert by Franky the drug dog from outside the closed front door. [continues 365 words]
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that police cannot take drug-sniffing police dogs onto a suspect's property to look for evidence without first getting a warrant for a search, a decision that may limit how investigators use dogs' sensitive noses to search out drugs, explosives and other items hidden from human sight, sound and smell. The high court split 5-4 on the decision to uphold the Florida Supreme Court's ruling throwing out evidence seized in the search of Joelis Jardines' Miami-area house. That search was based on an alert by Franky the drug dog from outside the closed front door. [continues 854 words]
A unanimous Supreme Court says evidence discovered by police dogs only needs to meet the same tests for probable cause as any other evidence. WASHINGTON - Police don't have to extensively document the work of drug-sniffing dogs in the field to be able to use the results of their work in court, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday. Instead, Justice Elena Kagan wrote for a unanimous court, courts should apply the same tests to dog sniffs they do when they look at other issues of whether police have probable cause to take an action. [continues 292 words]
WASHINGTON (AP) - Legislation to crack down on club drug use is wrapped in a popular child safety package, but critics worry that businesses whose customers use drugs without the proprietors' knowledge could face prosecution under the measures being signed into law Wednesday. ``You could have hotels prosecuted, you could have sporting events prosecuted, basically anything or anywhere you could expect someone to try and use drugs,'' said Marvin Johnson, an American Civil Liberties Union lawyer. Bush was signing the Amber Alerts package, which has as its centerpiece a voluntary rapid-response network to help find kidnapped children, on Wednesday. [continues 454 words]
WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers want to go after organizers and hosts of dance parties called "raves" in an attempt to halt the fast-rising use of the drug Ecstasy, which has been linked to damage to the brain, heart and kidneys in American teenagers. Raves are often hot spots for the use of Ecstasy and other drugs, and a bill offered by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, chairman of the House Judiciary crime subcommittee, would make it easier for the government to fine or imprison business owners who don't prevent their customers from committing drug offenses on their property. [continues 276 words]
WASHINGTON - The Coast Guard and the Customs Service may be counting the same cocaine seizures in their separate congressional reports, making it difficult to tell how the war on drugs is going, a senator says. The agencies don't see any problem with this, since they both participated in the seizures, according to a General Accounting Office report released Monday. "Agency officials we spoke with told us that they believe it is appropriate for each agency to get credit for its involvement in seizing cocaine, since without the participation of any one agency, the seizure might not occurred," the report said. [continues 298 words]
WASHINGTON ญญ (Associated Press) John Walters' nomination to lead President Bush's national drug policy is on its way to the full Senate for approval, despite opposition from top Democrats on a Senate committee. Walters' nomination was sent on to the Senate floor by the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 14-5 vote. Top Democrats on the committee voting against his nomination included Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont and former chairmen Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and Joseph Biden of Delaware. Also voting against Walters were Democratic Sens. Richard Durbin of Illinois and Charles Schumer of New York. [continues 190 words]
WASHINGTON -- John Walters' nomination to lead President Bush's national drug policy is on its way to the full Senate for approval, despite opposition from top Democrats on a Senate committee. Walters' nomination was sent on to the Senate floor by the Senate Judiciary Committee by a 14-5 vote. Top Democrats on the committee voting against his nomination included Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy of Vermont and former Chairmen Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Joseph Biden of Delaware. Also voting against Walters were Democratic Sens. Richard Durbin of Illinois and Charles Schumer of New York. [continues 188 words]
WASHINGTON -- President Bush's choice for drug policy director -- a man who was a harsh critic of Clinton-era anti-drug policies -- is getting his own turn as a target of criticism and questions. John Walters, whose nomination goes in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, served as acting director in 1993, but quit when President Clinton announced a reorientation of anti-narcotics policy, de-emphasizing law enforcement and interdiction. Walters favored strong law enforcement, criticizing the Clinton administration's anti-drug advertising campaign and advocating severe prison sentences for marijuana smugglers and repeat offenders. [continues 484 words]
John Walters, whose nomination goes in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, served as acting director in 1993, but quit when President Clinton announced a reorientation of anti-narcotics policy, de-emphasizing law enforcement and interdiction. Walters favored strong law enforcement, criticizing the Clinton administration's anti-drug advertising campaign and advocating severe prison sentences for marijuana smugglers and repeat offenders. "Instead of finding a compassionate conservative to lead our anti-drug efforts, President Bush has selected a man whose views are regarded as harsh and extreme even among drug warriors," said Keith Stroup, executive director of the National Organization for the Reformation of Marijuana Laws. [continues 440 words]
WASHINGTON -- GOP Rep. Asa Hutchinson, one of the House prosecutors in former President Clinton's impeachment trial, won Senate confirmation Wednesday to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration. "I am thrilled that the Senate had given its consent to my nomination," Hutchinson, R-Ark., said after the 98-1 voice vote by the Democratic-controlled Senate. "It is difficult to leave Congress, but I am excited to have the opportunity to serve Arkansas and the country by beginning our great national crusade against illegal drugs," said Hutchinson, 50. [continues 126 words]
WASHINGTON -- GOP Rep. Asa Hutchinson, one of the House prosecutors in former President Clinton's impeachment trial, won Senate confirmation Wednesday to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration. "I am thrilled that the Senate had given its consent to my nomination," Hutchinson, R-Ark., said after the 98-1 voice vote by the Democratic-controlled Senate. "It is difficult to leave Congress, but I am excited to have the opportunity to serve Arkansas and the country by beginning our great national crusade against illegal drugs," said Hutchinson, 50. [continues 405 words]
GOP Rep. Asa Hutchinson, one of the House prosecutors in former President Clinton's impeachment trial, won Senate confirmation Wednesday to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration. "I am thrilled that the Senate had given its consent to my nomination," Hutchinson, R-Ark., said after the 98-1 voice vote by the Democratic-controlled Senate. "It is difficult to leave Congress, but I am excited to have the opportunity to serve Arkansas and the country by beginning our great national crusade against illegal drugs," said Hutchinson, 50. Said his brother, Sen. Tim Hutchinson, R-Ark.: "This is a moment of great pride for me." [continues 373 words]
CONFIRMATION: DEA Nominee Questioned WASHINGTON - Rep. Asa Hutchinson, President Bush's pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, declined Tuesday to commit the agency to vigorously enforcing the federal ban on medical marijuana. The question came up during the Arkansas Republican's confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Supreme Court ruled in May that a federal law classifying the drug as illegal includes no exception for medical uses. "Do you think the federal government should make it a priority to prosecute people who are distributing marijuana to ill people?" asked committee chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). [continues 302 words]
WASHINGTON -- Rep. Asa Hutchinson, President Bush's pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, declined Tuesday to commit the agency to vigorously enforcing the federal ban on medical marijuana. The question came up during the Arkansas Republican's confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Supreme Court ruled in May that a federal law classifying the drug as illegal includes no exception for medical uses. "Do you think the federal government should make it a priority to prosecute people who are distributing marijuana to ill people?" asked committee chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. [continues 149 words]
WASHINGTON (AP) - Rep. Asa Hutchinson, President Bush's pick to lead the Drug Enforcement Administration, declined Tuesday to commit the agency to vigorously enforcing the federal ban on medical marijuana. The question came up during the Arkansas Republican's confirmation hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Supreme Court ruled in May that a federal law classifying the drug as illegal includes no exception for medical uses. "Do you think the federal government should make it a priority to prosecute people who are distributing marijuana to ill people?" asked committee chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. [continues 501 words]
WASHINGTON (AP)--The longtime rallying cry of a ``war on drugs'' to describe the effort to curtail illegal drug use in the United States has become ``misleading'' the White House drug policy director says. A more accurate comparison is to the fight against cancer _ ``Prevention coupled with treatment accompanied by research,'' Barry McCaffrey said in his final report on America's drug problem. ``Although wars are expected to end, drug education--like all schooling--is a continuous process,'' the retired four-star general said in the report to be presented Thursday at the White House. [continues 370 words]
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Mexican drug smugglers are getting as bold and efficient as their Colombian counterparts, and stepped up U.S. efforts to catch them have caused a logjam in federal courtrooms, law enforcement and judicial officials say. Nearly half the illegal cocaine in the United States comes through Mexico, and the country' s southern neighbor is America' s predominant foreign source of marijuana, Special Agent Joseph Keefe of the Drug Enforcement Administration told a House Government Reform subcommittee. With heroin, Mexican crime syndicates dominate the West Coast market, hold a substantial share of sales in the Midwest and are actively pursuing markets on the East Coast, he said. [continues 375 words]
COLUMBIA, S.C.Following up on a ruling that found a viable fetus is a person covered by the state's child abuse laws, the state Supreme Court has upheld a woman's conviction for taking drugs while pregnant. The court ruled 3/2 for the second time in as many years to uphold the conviction of Cornelia Whitner, who gave birth to a baby boy with cocaine in his blood. Ms. Whitner, whose son is living with relatives, was sentenced to eight years in prison for child neglect in 1992 after her newborn tested positive for cocaine. A judge freed her 19 months later, saying child abuse laws do not apply to prenatal actions. [continues 256 words]
