Pass Christian, MS asked in Criminal Law and Appeals / Appellate Law for Mississippi

Q: Can charges be dismissed if the traffic stop for a dim headlight was illegal?

I was stopped in Mississippi for having one of my four headlights out. During the stop, the officer conducted a search and found a gram of meth in the door handle, leading to a possession charge. This is the only charge, but I am currently on probation, which could lead to imprisonment. I believe the stop was illegal, to begin with. Should the charges be thrown out due to the potentially unlawful stop?

Justia Ask A Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get free 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 Justia and you, or between any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions and you, 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.