Duluth, MN asked in Traffic Tickets for Minnesota

Q: Traffic question!

If I am in the left turn lane, with my left blinker on, and 30 feet before the crosswalk while moving forward I blinker right and get back into the lane that goes straight through the intersection, is that against any traffic laws? No other vehicles were around at the time and I was pulled over for it, and ticketed for something else.

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2 Lawyer Answers
Jonathan Matthew Holson
Jonathan Matthew Holson
Answered
  • Traffic Tickets Lawyer
  • Saint Cloud, MN
  • Licensed in Minnesota

A: The police need reasonable articulable suspicion to pull someone over. There isn’t necessarily anything illegal about what you did, but other factors might’ve played a part in why you were pulled over. Speak with attorney directly about your situation for more specific answers about your situation.

Thomas C Gallagher
Thomas C Gallagher
Answered
  • Criminal Law Lawyer
  • Minneapolis, MN
  • Licensed in Minnesota

A: Police need Reasonable Articulable Suspicion of criminal activity, or an observed traffic violation, to stop a driver. Not using the lane change indicator light (blinker) when changing lanes is an all too common violation of Minnesota traffic laws; one which would justify a traffic stop. The question states that did not happen. When I have a client, I collect the most complete possible account of what happened, from my client, from my client's point of view. Then I collect what I can of the police officer's account of what happened, from the police officer's point of view (police reports, written discovery). Often these days there is also a squad car video I can review. In short, I do everything I can to get as much evidence of what happened as possible. Then, we can check to see whether the police officer's stated reason(s) for the stop are plausible, given the evidence. Sometimes we can convince a judge that they are not. And of course there are many other potential defenses available, after the stop.

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