State Courts

A California Superior Court judge has thrown out an effort by the city of Santa Barbara to undo the city's voter-mandated policy making adult marijuana possession offenses the lowest law enforcement priority.

The Minnesota Supreme Court has upheld the use of drug dogs to sniff the exterior of residences based on the "articulable suspicion" -- not the higher level of proof required by probable cause.

An amicus brief by advocates strongly made the case that prosecutions drive pregnant women away from the health care system and thereby hurt, not help.

With Nevada prisons bursting at the seams, state Supreme Court justices went to the legislature Monday to ask for more discretion in sentencing and more funding for drug and mental health courts.

In courthouses across the country, enforcing the drug laws is big business. We look at courthouse action in three separate locations to get a snapshot of the drug war.

Last week's grand jury action in one Ohio county opens a window on the impact of drug prohibition on the criminal justice system.

The Utah Supreme Court has ruled that the mere odor of burning marijuana is not sufficient justification for police to enter a residence without a search warrant.

Louisiana's "heroin lifers" got no relief from the state Supreme Court last week when it ruled a 2001 law cutting sentences did not apply retroactively. But they still have one more avenue of redress.

The arrest of a pair of registered Colorado medical marijuana patients last fall is setting off a legal battle that will help clarify the state's medical marijuana law. But if they lose, they face up to six years in prison.

As 2006 comes to an end, we look back to find the most significant victories and advances for drug reform this year.