Category Archives: Drug Laws

Criminal Law, Drug Laws

January 21, 2015 Supreme Court: Rodriguez v. United States

Rodriguez v. United States

Used under Creative Commons License
Used under Creative Commons License

How long can a police officer detain a driver stopped for a traffic offense in order to conduct a dog sniff?  That is the question the Supreme Court will address in  Rodriguez v. United States (No. 13-9972).

Dennys Rodriguez was a motorist stopped in Omaha, Nebraska.  A K-9 police officer stopped Rodriguez at 12:06 a.m. after his vehicle veered slowly off the road and jerked back onto it.  The passenger would not make eye-contact (the officer was on the passenger side), and Rodriguez said he swerved to avoid a pothole. Continue reading January 21, 2015 Supreme Court: Rodriguez v. United States →

Drug Laws, Immigration Law, Supreme Court

The Case about a Sock: Mellouli v. Holder revisited

Last week, I blogged on Mellouli v. Holder.  After a “tip” (i.e. someone e-mailed a Washington Post article to me), the case got a lot more interesting.  The case is about a sock.

Used under Creative Commons
Amphetamine model – Used under Creative Commons

Of course, the sock in question was holding four tablets of Adderall–a Schedule II drug under federal law.  (Although there was apparently no lab testing of the substance in the sock nor did it appear to have been specifically listed in the charging documents.)   Continue reading The Case about a Sock: Mellouli v. Holder revisited →

Criminal Law, Drug Laws, Immigration Law, Supreme Court

January 14, 2015 Supreme Court: Mellouli v. Holder

Used under Creative Commons License
Used under Creative Commons License

Mellouli v. Holder

On January 14, 2015, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in an immigration case, Mellouli v. Holder (No. 13-1034).  Mellouli will require the Supreme Court Justices to determine whether a Tunisian Immigrant convicted of possessing drug paraphernalia can be removed from the United States (deported) under Section 237(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(B)(i)).  Continue reading January 14, 2015 Supreme Court: Mellouli v. Holder →