[WoofDog123]

what type of search would you consider unreasonable?

not being sarcastic, but it is hard to argue that this ruling actually increases protection from unreasonable search and seizure.

[John Lenin]

Call me immune to the loss of freedom, I expect it to get worse not better in the future. That's what big government is all about. The more they take the more people demand and the more fury the cops have to deal with because no can make it on their own anymore without breaking the law.

[sam_paine]

Hit "View Replies" before you get too carried away. I just refuted claims that we are currently worse off than East Germany was. No freaking way, yet. Nor will *BAD* rulings like this lead to a real police state.

The Police State never comes gradually. It always flanks you and says "TaDa!"

A Police State can occur when, for example, the dimocrats finally dissolve themselves into obscurity and the Republicans debase themselves on pure power.

I'm actually more concerned about the infringements we can't see. Local cops can't really tell a damn thing about me with a drug dog....but the Feds have entire billion dollar black budgets to spy on every piece of information about our lives, with nobody to check up on them, not even dipwads in Congress.

With the local cops, I still get to go before a judge in public. Inconvenient, but still transparent.

...

If the nefarious power grabbers were smart, they'd get everyone riled up about meaningless traffic stops and then come at them with a haymaker of real oppression when they're all worn out on little battles. Oh, I see our new overlords ARE smart!

[robertpaulsen]

"not being sarcastic, but it is hard to argue that this ruling actually increases protection from unreasonable search and seizure."

Actually, it could.

Say the experienced cop has a good reason to be suspicious that "something's" in the trunk (drugs, bank money, kidnapped child, whatever). Say the driver has a criminal history, is acting nervous, keeps glancing at the trunk, has "lost" the trunk keys, etc.

Without the availability of a legal dog search, the cop would then have to seize the car, have it towed, get a court order, and search the trunk. Eerything nice and legal, yes? Oops, they find kiddie porn.

Well, I say the driver would have more privacy and protection if they bring the drug sniffing dog. No reaction, you're on your way.