The People of the State of New York v. Leonard Price

Summary

The New York Court of Appeals affirmed the Appellate Division, holding that the use of a trained police dog to sniff the air surrounding a passenger's luggage does not constitute a search under the Fourth Amendment and therefore did not violate the defendant's rights. Consequently, the dog’s indication provided lawful probable cause for the issuance of a search warrant, and the evidence obtained was admissible. The Court rejected the argument that the defendant had a reasonable expectation of privacy in the odors emanating from his luggage. Justice Meyer, in a concurring opinion, disagreed with the majority’s view that the dog sniff was not a search.