CJC-5010AA - Canine Law

The purpose of this course is to expose students to the legal issues involved with the use of canines.

At the end of the course, students will:

• Understand the law of force, including deadly force
• Comprehend the legal issues facing canine officers
• Be able to discuss constitutional issues commonly arising with the use of canines
• Discuss ways to limit civil liability, including qualified immunity

Course Topics:

• Overview of search and seizure issues
• Criminal vs. civil litigation
• Deployment decisions
• Training of officer and canine
• Use of dogs to sniff people and their houses
• Certification issues
• Common grounds for defense attorneys to challenge K-9 officers
• Dog bites: deadly or non-deadly use of force?
• Defending K-9 officer and K-9 in court
• SOPs to consider
• 42 U.S.C. 1983
• Qualified Immunity
• Objective reasonableness in the use of force
• Deadly force—Tennessee v. Garner standard
• North Carolina statutes covering the use of force
• FLSA 29 U.S.C. 201 et. Seq.
• Injury protocol if dog bites
• Mission statements
• Drug/explosive/missing suspect canine case law
• Ownership rights upon retirement
• Use of canines at DWI roadblocks
• Use of canines during search warrant executions
• Agency liability under 42 U.S.C. 1983
• Reducing civil liability risks