Originally published Thursday, July 17, 2008 at 12:00 AM
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Print viewCourt: Can't arrest all in car based on drug scent
Police in Washington can't arrest a group of people in a car just because an officer catches a whiff of marijuana.
OLYMPIA — Police in Washington can't arrest a group of people in a car just because an officer catches a whiff of marijuana.
That's the word from the state Supreme Court, in a ruling that overturns a nearly 30-year-old legal precedent in Washington.
Today's unanimous decision says individual privacy rights prevent police from arresting multiple people in a car, if the only evidence is the smell of drugs.
But the court says police can still search the car for more evidence based only on the smell of drugs.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
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