El Monte, CA asked in Civil Rights and Criminal Law for California

Q: Can police see your warrant if they run the license plates of a vehicle that is not registered under your name?

I got pulled over for expired tags. Police beat me up badly and didnt know my neighbor's cameras caught the whole thing. I didn't know I had a warrant and the police officer never mentioned anything about me having a warrant either. Now that I'm fighting the charges, they're trying to say that they stopped me because my warrant came up when they ran the plates of the vehicle that belongs to my mother in law. So they're trying to say that since I had a warrant, that whatever they did was reasonable.

Related Topics:
2 Lawyer Answers
David Dastrup
David Dastrup
Answered
  • Criminal Law Lawyer
  • Torrance, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: You are right in that it does not make sense that they would find a warrant for you based on looking up someone else's license plates. There are a lot of different reasons police pull people over. Here, if the tags were actually expired, that is a legitimate reason. However, sometimes a police officer will recognize the driver as someone they have dealt with before and then try to find a reason, or make one up, for pulling over the vehicle. One would have to look at the police report to find more information.

1 user found this answer helpful

Dale S. Gribow
Dale S. Gribow
Answered
  • Criminal Law Lawyer
  • Palm Desert, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: more info needed.

However, it does not sound realistic they would see a warrant for you if they were running plates of a car that did not belong to you.

when you hire a lawyer or have one appointed for you be sure to mention that as it might be the basis for a 1538.5 motion to suppress evidence and ultimate dismissal.

1 user found this answer helpful

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.