Court: Lex Not Top Dog in Drug-Sniffing, But Conviction OK

CHICAGO (AP) — Federal judges say a Bloomington, Illinois police dog named Lex is far from being top dog in drug-sniffing.

But Chicago’s 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday wouldn’t toss a conviction he played a role in.

Larry Bentley Jr. of St. Louis appealed his cocaine-possession conviction stemming from Lex detecting drugs in Bentley’s car.

The defense offered evidence that Lex signals for drugs 93 percent of the time, often inaccurately. They argued police can’t rely on him for legal justification to search further.

The court agreed Lex must have been “bottom of his class” at dog-training school. It added giving Lex treats for each alert, false or not, was a “terrible way to promote” accuracy.

But it said Bentley’s contradictory answers to officers and other evidence separately justified the search.

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