>>PA Supreme Court Rules in Allentown Case; Pot Odor Alone Not Enough Reason to Search
(Harrisburg, PA) -- The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that the smell of marijuana alone isn't enough reason for police to search a vehicle without a warrant. Their decree Wednesday overturns a lower court decision in an Allentown case. Chief Justice Max Baer said in his opinion filed Wednesday the odor of marijuana may only be considered as a factor in examining the totality of the circumstances. The Supreme Court remanded the case back to the Lehigh County Court. The case stems from a 2018 traffic stop in which state police smelled marijuana in a car in which Timothy Barr the Second of Heidelberg Township was a passenger. Marijuana and a gun were found in the car after the search.