Police officer testified he was driving behind our clients vehicle when he decided to do a routine computer check of the cars tag. The check revealed that the tag was valid but that the registered owner of the vehicle had a suspended drivers license. Police officer then conducted a traffic stop and issued a criminal citation to our client for not having a valid drivers license. At the suppression hearing, Ticket Clinic attorneys argued that because the police officer failed to make any attempt to get a visual of the actual driver of the car they didn’t have a sufficient basis to conduct a traffic stop. Essentially anyone could have been driving car and since the officer didn’t get a look at the driver prior to conducting the traffic stop, he had no idea nor any reason to believe that the registered owner was the person driving. The Court agreed and the charge was dismissed.
DUI & Criminal Division
