Q: Ok my friend was pulled over and charged w/trafficking meth and heroin they told him the reason they pulled him over is
Because he had a tail light out and no insurance now when he went to jail that was night on his paper work and no charger's on taillight or insurance oh he also was charged with defaced fire arm now where they said they pulled him over for one reason but was charged with a different and no where was he changed with what they said they pulled him over for can they do that
A: Yes, they can. I see cases like this very often. One of the most important issues is whether or not probable cause existed for the presumably warrantless search, and for the stop itself.
Tim Akpinar agrees with this answer
A: Yes, they can. It’s called a pretextual stop and It has been approved by the Supreme Court.
A: The citation does not have to have a charge for the stop. The issue is one of whether there was a reasonable suspicion to pull over. There may be grands to suppress the stop depending on the reason for pulling over.
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.