Maplewood, NJ asked in Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Traffic Tickets for New Jersey

Q: When a police officer is out of its jurisdiction when pulling you ovet

I was traveling south bound on my main road while the p/o was conducting a speed radar at a standstill in the middle of the road. Pulls out, follows me 3 cars behind for 3 miles before stating in the police report that he pulled up and seen that I was "looking down on my phone " proceeded to follow me .5 miles before pulling me over for a 3rd brake light out ticket. I oniw title 39 clearly states which lights sgould work yet he proceeded to then search my car for drugs after asking me what I was doing when I put my hands on the trunk of my car and proceeded to search me n my car after informing his I dont consent to and searches. If he "seen me on my phone " or if indeed my light was broken it was out of his jurisdiction. How can I either have the charges dismissed or shown the pullover was not in jurisdiction and what happens then?

3 Lawyer Answers

A: A good criminal defense lawyer may be able to successfully challenge the stop and the fruits of the search. You should consult a lawyer right away.

A: First a police officer can give you a ticket in any town, it is just that they are paid to protect their town so they are supposed to stay in the town for that reason. It is not because they don't have the power to pull you over and ticket you.

Second the police officer was allowed to search the car if he smelled for example the odor of marijuana.

Third you may have a defense to your case, but it will not be because of what I stated. In general the better the lawyer you hire the better your chances are of getting of the charges. Without seeing your discovery no lawyer can tell you what these chances are except to explain to you general facts, as everyones defense is fact sensitive.

Leon Matchin
PREMIUM
Leon Matchin pro label Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
Answered

A: File motion to change venue to the appropriate venue/jurisdiction (town) and there file motion to suppress the stop, search and seizure. You'll need to file formal notice and will have to brief so you'll need a lawyer for that.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.