SPRINGFIELD (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - The Illinois Supreme Court has ruled the smell of raw cannabis is grounds for police to search a car.
That's counter to the court’s previous ruling that the smell of burnt cannabis alone is not enough reason to search a car.
Alexandra Block is the director of the Criminal Legal System and Policing Project at the ACLU of Illinois.
“Given the contradiction between those two cases, it’s likely to cause confusion, we’re afraid, and to embolden police officers in pretextual traffic stops,” Block says.
“Those searches are often based on stereotypes that Black and Brown people are more likely to have contraband in their car, which is just not true…These pretextual stops and searches lead to a lot of discrimination against drivers in Illinois.”
The defense says it will appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Illinois law states that raw cannabis must be in an odor-proof container while in a car.
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