Florida v. Harris
In brief
The Supreme Court overturned Florida’s ruling and found that the evidence about Aldo’s reliability gave Wheetley enough reason to search Harris’s truck.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided 9-0 · February 19, 2013 · Opinion by Justice Kagan
- What it’s about
- During a traffic stop, Officer Wheetley searched Clayton Harris’s truck without a warrant after drug-detection dog Aldo alerted.
- Who it affects
- The Court found that Wheetley had a reasonable basis to search Harris’s truck without a warrant.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Supreme Court overturned Florida’s ruling, finding that Aldo’s training and testing records supported his reliability and that Wheetley had probable cause—a reasonable basis to believe a search would find drugs—because Harris did not undermine that evidence.
The dispute asked when a drug-detection dog’s alert gives an officer enough reason to search a vehicle without a warrant.
Question presented
Does a drug-detection dog's alert to the exterior of a vehicle provide an officer with probable cause to conduct a warrantless search of the interior of the vehicle?
What the Court decided
Holding
Because training and testing records supported Aldo’s reliability in detecting drugs and Harris failed to undermine that evidence, Wheetley had probable cause to search Harris’s truck. 71 So. 3d 756, reversed.
- Result
- Reversed
The Court's reasoning
The Court said Aldo’s training and testing records supported his reliability, and Harris did not undermine that evidence. On that basis, Officer Wheetley had enough reason to search the truck.
The vote
What's next
The Supreme Court has finished deciding the appeal. Its ruling resolves the search question in Harris’s case.
Documents
Opinions
Audio
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Impact Analysis
AI analysis generated: Opinion Summary
Show 5 moreShow fewer
AI analysis generated: Decision Record
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
Audio Recording added: Oral Arguments - Harris
Opinion added: Harris
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.