Opinion ID: 1767825
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Canine sniff

Text: The State argues that the court erred in concluding that the canine sniff of Appellee's truck violated the Arkansas and United States Constitutions because the officer had stopped the Appellee with the pretext of conducting a canine sniff and had developed no additional suspicion to support it. In response, Appellee asserts that, even if the officers had reasonable suspicion to justify a Rule 3.1 stop, the officers did not have any information that would justify a canine sniff. A pretextual stop does not violate federal constitutional law. See Harmon, supra . Further, this court has never held a valid traffic stop to be unconstitutional because of a police officer's ulterior motives. See Harmon, supra (citing Mings v. State, 318 Ark. 201, 884 S.W.2d 596 (1994)). We have also said that an otherwise valid stop does not become unreasonable merely because the officer has intuitive suspicions that the occupants of the car are engaged in some sort of criminal activity. Id. Unlike pretextual arrests, our common-law jurisprudence does not support invalidation of a search because a valid traffic stop was made by a police officer who suspected other criminal activity. Id. The use of a drug dog during a traffic stop does not constitute an illegal search under the federal constitution. Burks v. State, 362 Ark. 558, 210 S.W.3d 62 (2005) (citing Illinois v. Caballes, 543 U.S. 405, 125 S.Ct. 834, 160 L.Ed.2d 842 (2005)). We have held that a canine sniff of the exterior of a vehicle is not a Fourth Amendment search. See Dowty, supra (citing Sims v. State, 356 Ark. 507, 157 S.W.3d 530 (2004)). Where there is no search within the meaning of the Fourth Amendment, no reasonable suspicion is necessary to justify having a dog smell an individual's vehicle. Id. According to our case law, if police have a reasonable suspicion to detain a vehicle, no separate suspicion is required to conduct a canine sniff. See Burks, supra (declining to address whether a canine sniff is an illegal search under the state constitution because law enforcement had reasonable grounds to detain). Appellee argues that we should find that a canine sniff constitutes a search under Article 2, § 15 of the Arkansas Constitution because our Constitution provides greater rights of privacy and greater protection than that afforded under the Federal Constitution. We have made it abundantly clear that though the search-and-seizure language of Article 2, § 15, of the Arkansas Constitution is very similar to the words of the Fourth Amendment, we are not bound by the federal interpretation of the Fourth Amendment when interpreting our own law. See State v. Brown, 356 Ark. 460, 156 S.W.3d 722 (2004); Jegley v. Picado, 349 Ark. 600, 80 S.W.3d 332 (2002); State v. Sullivan, 348 Ark. 647, 74 S.W.3d 215 (2002); Griffin v. State, 347 Ark. 788, 67 S.W.3d 582 (2002). We have deviated from federal precedent by embracing a heightened privacy protection for citizens in their homes against unreasonable searches and seizures. See State v. Brown, supra . However, where the search of a motor vehicle is concerned, we have said that it is appropriate to follow Fourth Amendment interpretations because of the difficulty in balancing interests and setting rules for search and seizure of automobiles. See Stout v. State, 320 Ark. 552, 898 S.W.2d 457 (1995). Here, the argument asking us to declare that a canine sniff constitutes a search under Article 2, § 15 of the Arkansas Constitution has not been sufficiently developed. Therefore, we decline to address this issue. Because the officers in this case had reasonable suspicion to stop and detain Appellee's vehicle pursuant to Rule 3.1, we hold that any pretext on the part of the officers is irrelevant and that the officers did not need any additional reasonable suspicion to justify the canine sniff. Accordingly, we hold that the circuit court erred in suppressing the evidence, and we reverse and remand for further proceedings. Reversed and remanded.