miami dade county

11.24.09

What the Cold Nose Knows

Man's best friend? Not if the man is on trial and the dog is an expert "nose witness" who may be more convincing than reliable.

By Jessica Snyder Sachs Posted 07.08.2003 at 1:08 pm 0 Comments

Juries love dog testimony. As witnesses go, nothing beats a
canine for sincerity and trustworthiness, and nothing brings a little light into a dismal courtroom like the goofy grin and thumping tail of a hound.

"The jury eats it up," says police K-9 handler Pat McAlhany, a veteran of the Miami-Dade County Sheriff's Office. "From a prosecutor's standpoint, there's nothing better than my actually bringing my dog into the courtroom for a demonstration."

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Your Phone Knows Where You Are

With E911, your cellphone's location can be tracked within seconds. Sounds great for emergencies, but is there a dark side?

Posted 06.25.2002 at 4:03 pm 0 Comments

In February 2001, while driving on the state turnpike to her home in Miramar, Florida, 32-year-old Karla Gutierrez lost control of her BMW 328i and skidded into a canal. She dialed 911 on a cellphone and explained her predicament as the vehicle slowly sank. But since Gutierrez couldn't describe her precise location-"I'm not sure where I am," she told the operator-Miami-Dade County rescue units didn't know where to go to save her. By the time a passing patrolman noticed a busted fence by the accident site and found Gutierrez, she was dead.

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