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The U.S. Supreme Court Rules in Favor of the State of Florida in Case of
“Dog Sniff” Establishing Probable Cause During Traffic Stop

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—The United State Supreme Court today ruled in favor of the State of Florida in Florida v. Clayton Harris, deciding that police dog Aldo’s sniff constituted probable cause for Liberty County K-9 Officer William Wheetley to search Clayton’s Harris’s vehicle for illegal drugs. The Court’s decision is important to law enforcement officers throughout the nation because it clarifies the legal standards governing their reliance on drug detection dogs, a common law enforcement practice.

The Supreme Court unanimously reversed the Florida Supreme Court’s judgment and declared, “Because training records established Aldo’s reliability in detecting drugs and Harris failed to undermine that showing, we agree with the trial court that Wheetley had probable cause to search Harris’s truck.”

“This victory is paramount to preserving our law enforcement officers’ ability to use police dog alerts to locate illegal drugs and arrest those who possess them," stated Attorney General Pam Bondi. "The Supreme Court correctly held that a police dog’s reliability is determined through a common-sense evaluation of the relevant circumstances, rather than through a rigid set of judge-created requirements."

To view the opinion, please follow this link: http://myfloridalegal.com/webfiles.nsf/WF/MMFD-953LBE/$file/HarrisOPINION.pdf

Calhoun County Clerk of Court Carla Hand has issued this agenda for the upcoming county commission meeting set for Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m. This allows interested citizens an opportunity to know issues being discussed so they may plan to attend. Meetings are held the first and third Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the board room at the Calhoun County Extension Office (next to the old courthouse). The agenda is as follows:

CALHOUN COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA
FEBRUARY 19, 2013

6:00 P.M. CALL MEETING TO ORDER

6:01 P.M. APPROVAL OF FEBRUARY 5, 2013 MINUTES

6:02 P.M. JOE WOOD, GRANTS COORDINATOR, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR

6:15 P.M. ANGIE SMITH, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR

6:30 P.M. DAN CLEMONS - BIDS

6:45 P.M. DONALD STANLEY, PREBLE RISH, INC.

7:00 P.M. MAXIE WALDORFF, IDA BOARD

7:15 P.M. KATHLEEN HERZOG – NATIONAL RECREATION TRAILS

7:30 P.M. BRITTNEY WOOTEN – GIRL SCOUTS

7:45 P.M. VOLENA BARFIELD – VOTING PRECINCTS

8:00 P.M. TAMMY MARTIN – HOME BUSINESS

8:15 P.M. ALVIN JOHNSON – 3RD ANNUAL BLOUNTSTOWN CAR SHOW

8:30 P.M. DOWLING PARRISH – PICKRON UPDATE

8:45 P.M. ATTORNEY TIME

9:00 P.M. COMMISSION TIME

Calhoun Countians gathered in downtown Blountstown Monday morning to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. [Full Story »] 

BY KELLI PEACOCK DUNN
News Editor

A Blountstown woman was booked into the Calhoun County Jail Wednesday, accused of burglarizing an ex-boyfriend's home.

Carla Lea Causey, 32, has been charged with burglary of a structure, grand theft and criminal mischief.

According to the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office, Dep. Jody Hoagland responded to a home on Garrett Drive in Altha Christmas Day. A couple at the home reported they returned to find their front yard scattered with broken dresser drawers and clothing. Inside the home, the living room furniture had been overturned and the kitchen was a mess with garbage dumped on the floor. A pair of partially burnt boxer shorts were also discovered. A woman at the home said she was missing an Ipod, an MP3 player, a camo pellet gun, a Sony PS3 and several unopened Christmas presents. A witness reported seeing Causey at the residence throwing numerous items out the front door.

Dep. Hoagland contacted Causey who allegedly admitted to being at the residence, but claimed she was there with her ex and the woman who resided there with him. She further stated she got into an altercation with the woman, but left only with the presents her ex-boyfriend had given her.

After further investigation, a warrant was issued for Causey's arrest. She was booked into the Calhoun County Jail and given a conditional release.

The County Record is trying to confirm the first baby of the new year for Calhoun County. An Altha baby was born on January 2 at 7:56 a.m. If anyone has had or knows of a Calhoun County baby born between Jan. 1 and this time on Jan. 2, please let us know immediately so we can announce the New Year baby! Call 674-5041 or email news@thecountyrecord.net

When The County Record sent the press release out two days ago about the nationwide search for a "Jane Doe" suspected child pornographer, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), we had no idea how close to home the search would lead. Fortunately, no one from Calhoun County was involved, however, a woman in nearby Okaloosa County has been arrested on federal charges for child pornography production.

Corine Danielle Motley, 25, was arrested by HSI Pensacola special agents and Northwest Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force members late Wednesday evening, hours after HSI issued a public appeal for assistance to identify "Jane Doe."

"The quick identification of the victim and suspect in this case demonstrates the power of the press, social media and the general public in helping solve these cases," said ICE Director John Morton. "Literally hours after we asked the public for their assistance in identifying Jane Doe, a tip came in that led to her identification and arrest. There is nothing more satisfying than knowing that, due to these efforts, a child is now safe and her tormentor now in custody."

HSI's Child Exploitation Investigations Unit's Victim Identification Program obtained a "Jane Doe" arrest warrant Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia for the suspect and issued a news release with photos seeking the public's help to identify the suspect, after all other investigative leads had been exhausted.

According to the complaint, Motley is believed to have produced at least one long-form child pornography video featuring herself engaging in explicit sexual conduct with a 4 to 6-year-old victim.

HSI special agents received an investigative referral from the Danish National Police, after the video was downloaded by law enforcement officers in Denmark. The video was referred to HSI as Danish police believed that the video had most likely been produced in the United States. HSI submitted the material to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, the national clearinghouse for child sexual exploitation material. The center determined that the victim had not yet been identified or rescued.

Investigators believe that the video was posted on the Internet for the first time Nov. 27.

The Department of Justice's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section supported the efforts of HSI during this investigation. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the Northwest Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force also provided assistance. Participating members of the task force included: the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, the Walton County Sheriff's Office and the Pensacola Police Department.

This investigation is part of Operation Predator, a nationwide HSI initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders and child sex traffickers. HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

HSI is a founding member and the U.S. representative of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.

The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida.