Narcotics Case Law Blog

Police officers routinely face one of the hardest judgment calls in criminal enforcement: Does what I’m seeing amount to mere suspicion, or does it rise to probable cause or proof of possession? Two recent appellate decisions — State v. Matt  (Montana 2025) and Moody v. State  (Mississippi 2025) — offer a powerful, real-world contrast that every patrol officer, interdiction unit, and investigator can learn from. One conviction was reversed  because the evidence never crossed

In law enforcement, we rely heavily on confidential informants. Many times, they’re the difference between having a good hunch and having actual probable cause. But the Seventh Circuit’s decision in United States v. Felton (2025)  gives us an important reminder: if your warrant affidavit leans on an informant, you must tell the judge the whole story — not just the parts that help you. This case walks through what happens when officers omit key credibility details , fail to co

Cases Compared: State v. Nagle , No. A23-0927 (Minn. Oct. 22, 2025) United States v. Long , No. 24-3377 (6th Cir. Oct. 17, 2025) TL;DR Holding (Nagle):  Minnesota’s high court suppressed evidence from a home search based solely on an uncorroborated informant tip. Holding (Long):  The Sixth Circuit upheld a home search based on a pattern of corroborated surveillance and drug activity. Importance:  These two cases, decided just days apart, show the razor-thin line between pro

In this week’s police training case brief, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals tackled a question straight out of the patrol car: What happens when a K-9’s nose crosses the window line? In State v. Organ (Oct. 30, 2025), the state’s highest criminal court ruled that when a drug-detection dog’s nose enters a vehicle during a free-air sniff, that action becomes a Fourth Amendment search — one that requires probable cause. The decision draws a sharp boundary for handlers and hig

A Common Stop Gets a Legal Reality Check If you’ve spent any time behind the wheel of a patrol car, you’ve probably noticed it — license plate frames that cover part of a plate’s border, sometimes even the state name. Maybe it’s a dealer frame, maybe it’s a sports team. Many officers have pulled over cars for that kind of obstruction, figuring it’s a technical violation under state plate-display laws. But in October 2025 , the Kansas Supreme Court  handed down a ruling that s

The Scenario New Year’s Eve just after midnight. Cold, dark, and a Ford Ranger looks banged-up and badly parked  — one headlight working,...

Introduction Asset forfeiture has long been one of law enforcement’s most powerful — and most controversial — tools. A recent Wyoming...

United States v. Schmitz, No. 24-11157 (11th Cir. Sept. 25, 2025) TL;DR Holding : The Eleventh Circuit upheld the denial of Schmitz’s...

State v. Spies, SCWC-23-0000388 (Haw. Sept. 16, 2025) TL;DR Holding:  The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court affirmed Spies’s conviction for promoting...

United States v. Hunt, 23-2342 (9th Cir. 2025) TL;DR Holding:  The Ninth Circuit upheld the conviction, rejecting both a Fourth Amendment...

United States v. Blasdel, 24-5071 (10th Cir. Sept. 2, 2025) Summary Holding:  The Tenth Circuit reversed the denial of suppression,...

United States v. McCarley-Connin, U.S. 6th Cir. No. 24-3055 (Aug. 22, 2025) Summary: The Sixth Circuit affirmed denial of suppression...

United States v. Ross, 23-1631 (3d Cir. Aug. 19, 2025) Summary Holding:  Officer’s brief watch-and-job comment during traffic stop did...

United States v. Thin Elk , No. 24-2855 (8th Cir. Aug. 7, 2025) Summary Holding:  The Eighth Circuit upheld the denial of a motion to...

United States v. Farias , No. 24-2725 (7th Cir. Aug. 7, 2025) Summary Holding:  The Seventh Circuit upheld Jose Farias’s convictions for...

United States v. Johnson, No. 23-4255, 4th Cir. (Aug. 5, 2025) Summary Holding:  A warrantless dog sniff at the door of an apartment in a...