NO WARRANT REQUIRED

The Michigan Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 ruling released Wednesday,
said police may use dogs to sniff outside a house for drugs without a
search warrant. A Wayne County judge had suppressed evidence and
dismissed marijuana charges against Detroiter Jeffrey Jones -- who
had been convicted of previous drug charges -- because Jones argued
the sniffing was an illegal search. The majority on the appeals panel
agreed with prosecutors that police, acting on a tip, may use a
trained dog to sniff the front door, and use that information to get
a warrant to search inside the house.