I can imagine what more libertarian bloggers are gonna say about this, and I’ll probably agree with much of it.

The Supreme Court gave police broader search powers Monday during traffic stops, ruling in an Illinois case that drug-sniffing dogs can be used to check out motorists even if officers have no reason to suspect they might be carrying narcotics.

In a 6-2 decision, the court sided with Illinois police who stopped Roy Caballes in 1998 along Interstate 80 for driving 6 miles over the speed limit. Although Caballes lawfully produced his driver’s license, troopers brought over a drug dog after Caballes seemed nervous.

The dog sniffed out $250,000 worth of marijuana in Caballes’ trunk. The Las Vegas resident was convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to 12 years in prison, but his conviction was overturned when the Illinois Supreme Court ruled the troopers improperly broadened an ordinary traffic stop.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, despite having limited trial experience, personally argued the case before the Supreme Court.

I think one of the morals here is if you’ve got a quarter million dollars of weed in your trunk, drive the friggin’ speed limit.