Supreme Court decides to look at pot case

GRAND RAPIDS (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court wants to hear more about pre-dawn visits to the homes of two Kent County jail officers who were charged with possessing marijuana butter.

Todd VanDoorne and Michael Frederick say a Grand Rapids-area drug team didn’t have a search warrant in 2014. They say they felt compelled to cooperate because they’re officers, too.
They had medical marijuana cards, but prosecutors said they still violated the law.

In a recent order, the Supreme Court  asked lawyers to file briefs on whether so-called knock-and-talk procedures used by deputies violated the rights of VanDoorne and Frederick. 

The court also wants the parties to address whether the conduct was coercive.

A Kent County judge and the state appeals court found no problem with the searches.