The cases of Florida v. Harris and Florida v. Jardines share some similarities. However, several peculiarities create a definite distinction between the two. Both instances involve charges associated with drugs and drug possession (Supreme Court of the United States, 2012a; Supreme Court of the United States, 2012b). In addition, both cases are centered around using the K-9 unit to obtain evidence against the defender. However, the court decided to suppress the evidence in the Jardines case, whereas the evidence obtained in the Harris case remained unsuppressed.
The main difference between the cases is the place of police investigation occurrence. Regarding Jardines, the police officer brought a trained dog to search for odors at the front door of Jardines’ apartment. Based on his findings, he requested a warrant for a search that later confirmed the detected odor with corresponding evidence (Supreme Court of the United States, 2012a). According to the Fourth Amendment, it is “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures” (CONAN, n.d., para. 1). In this context, the area associated with the house and its immediate surroundings is considered a part of the home itself (Supreme Court of the United States, 2012a). Thus, I agree that bringing a K-9 unit into the house proximity does violate the Fourth Amendment.
However, the case of Harris occurred in a place that does not resemble the same features. Harris was stopped at the road in his truck due to the expired license plate. His external appearance and the presence of alcohol encouraged the officer to search, and Harris’ refusal further encouraged the officer to involve the K-9 unit. As a result, the officer obtained evidence of Harris’s drug involvement (Supreme Court of the United States, 2012b). In this case, Fourth Amendment does not apply since the mentioned truck does not adhere to the personal house category. Thus, I agree with the court’s decision to support an officer with probable search cause.
References
Constitution Annotated (CONAN). (n.d.). Constitution of the United States. Web.
Supreme Court of the United States. (2012a). Florida v. Jardines. Web.
Supreme Court of the United States. (2012b). Florida v. Harris. Web.