Wow! I received over 30 replies to the "What animal's evidence is
admissible in a court of law" question, including several requests to post
the answer to the list. Most people thought it would be bloodhounds,
drug-sniffing dogs, etc. Several creative individuals suggested flies,
maggots, or any evidence left at a crime scene. Thanks to everyone who took
time to reply.
Special thanks to David McFadden at Southwestern U. School of Law
for directing me to 29A Am Jur 2d EVIDENCE § 575 (Trailing by bloodhounds,
generally), 576 (Proper foundation for evidence), and 1484 (Dog tracking).
Dog tracking evidence must be corroborated with additional evidence to be
admissible. We don't have access to Lexis or Westlaw, so David's search was
very useful. And I agree with his comment that this is not information
generally available to a fifth grader!
Also thanks to Ken Nightingale, the husband of a co-worker, who
guessed that "bloodhounds" was the answer and confirmed it with a Google
search. Like I said, I was feeling dense that day, and didn't think of my
favorite search engine.
On a more unusual (and international) note, check out
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_498489.html for the story about the
parrot in Germany who "testified" in court. (Thanks, John Perkins! That
one really made my day!)
This list, as always, really came through for me. Thanks again.
Melissa Barr, Legal Resources Specialist
Cuyahoga County Public Library
5225 Library Lane
Maple Heights, OH 44137
Tel. (216) 475-5000
mbarr@cuyahoga.lib.oh.us
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