Bwa-ha-ha -- Judge doubts trooper could have sniffed out marijuana

[Blue_In_AK]

From this morning's Anchorage Daily News. http://www.adn.com/2011/04/24/1826162/judge-says-trooper-couldnt-have.html

An Alaska trooper's reported ability to sniff out marijuana grow operations from hundreds of feet away is under attack in federal court.

In a ruling Friday, U.S. District Judge John Sedwick concluded the pot-smelling power of investigator Kyle Young wasn't supported by the facts in a Mat-Su marijuana case, and shouldn't have been used as justification for a search warrant.

As a result, Sedwick threw out the seized evidence -- including some 500 marijuana plants. Unless prosecutors appeal, the government's drug case against Trace Rae and Jennifer Anne Thoms of Wasilla is gutted.

"This time, the tables turned," defense lawyer Rex Butler, who represents Trace Thoms, said Sunday. "This is a huge case, especially for the Valley."

He said it carries implications for numerous cases that were based on trooper Young's reputed marijuana-detecting skill.

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Read more: http://www.adn.com/2011/04/24/1826162/judge-says-trooper-couldnt-have.html#ixzz1KYV9D0yf