Question
Rodney Coaker is detained at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport on suspicion of drug smuggling. Agents do not find major quantities of drugs in his luggage.
Rodney Coaker is detained at the Ft. Lauderdale Airport on suspicion of drug smuggling. Agents do not find major quantities of drugs in his luggage. However, they pass his clothing through a newly designed cocaine spectrometer which supposedly can detect minuscule amounts of cocaine. The spectrometer reports that there are trace quantities of cocaine in Coakers underwear. He is tried on federal cocaine-smuggling charges. At trial, the designer of the spectrometer testifies that the device is reliable and that the results reported for Coakers underwear indicate that cocaine must have come in contact with the underwear shortly before the test. The design of the cocaine spectrometer has never been made public or subjected to peer review; nor has the device so far become generally accepted as a method of drug testing. Do these facts mean that the court should bar the use of the spectrometer evidence?
Step by Step Solution
There are 3 Steps involved in it
Step: 1
Get Instant Access to Expert-Tailored Solutions
See step-by-step solutions with expert insights and AI powered tools for academic success
Step: 2
Step: 3
Ace Your Homework with AI
Get the answers you need in no time with our AI-driven, step-by-step assistance
Get Started