Asked in Traffic Tickets for Minnesota

Q: I was stopped in rural Minnesota, several miles outside of city limits by a city cop and issued a speeding ticket.

My question is can a city cop stop me out of his jurisdiction if he did not witness me speeding in his jurisdiction? I was already through said city and going north away from town and he was heading south towards it. Which means there is no way he witnessed me speeding within his jurisdiction.

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2 Lawyer Answers

A: Assessing the validity of the traffic stop is not something that can be done simply based on what you believe occurred. An attorney would need to review the police reports, squad video, body cam, etc. before providing anything resembling a meaningful answer to your question.

A: Whether police can enforce the speeding law outside their home territory is an issue that may depend upon all the specific facts in a case. There are several Minnesota appellate court cases discussing this issue. In most common circumstances, they can lawfully do so. but in some they cannot. You could retain a defense lawyer. Or you could research the law yourself. Or both.

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