Courts have long seen K-9 dogs as impartial. Now police bodycams hold them accountable
NPR: Lewis Katz, the John C. Hutchins Professor of Law Emeritus, explained how body cameras have factored into K-9 police searches. “Over the years, the courts have simply had to trust K-9 handlers when they affirm that the dog alerted to a smell independently,” he said. “But now with the advent of close-up body cams, that may finally change. It’s up to defense attorneys to start insisting on discovery of the body camera and to watch the officer’s behavior.”