Mich. court lets police use dogs to sniff outside of home

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - The Michigan Court of Appeals says it's OK for police to use dogs to sniff the exterior of a house to detect drugs without a search warrant.

The 2-1 ruling released Wednesday is a setback for Jeffrey Jones of Detroit.

A Wayne County judge had suppressed evidence and dismissed marijuana possession charges against Jones because he argued the sniffing was an illegal search. Prosecutors appealed.

Two judges on the appeals court say police, acting on a tip, can go to someone's home with drug-detection dogs, sniff the front door and use that information to get a warrant to search inside the house.

A dissenting judge says the ruling erodes the protections of privacy and the sanctity of the home guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment.