All my lights in the back worked!! supposedly the reason why he pulled over but he was obviously lying cause i checked right afterwards and they all work. He ended up taking my weed and a closed box of coronas cause im under 21. Isn't that like illegal if he pulled over for a reason that wasn't true and then got me on other shit?? need some answers before i go to court.
124869
Yes, it's still legal.\n\nAll that a cop needs is reasonable suspicion to stop a vehicle. \n\nArticulable facts concerning contraband can also permit a stop, without a traffic infraction.\n\nIt's also written into the legislation that they can stop to check for driver's licences and random breath tests. They don't even have to see you do anything wrong, and they can quite literaly pick people out at random if they choose to.\n\nThe fact that he found an illegal substance and beer in your car will DEFINITELY NOT sit well w/ the judge at your hearing in court...
625651
I got pulled over for that once too except mine was called disorderly conduct with a vehicle ?? But I don't know how well the fight would hold up if you fought it because it is your word against his when it comes to what he had said to you.
520019
Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the question, but if he gave your boyfriend a warning ticket, it was just that, a warning. Police officers give people warnings all the time and they do not go on your record. It's just a way for the officer to be able to tell his superiors that he wasn't backed up in a hole all night long doing nothing. The ticket goes on file just to show that you have been warned about the offense(s) and nothing more. I know this because I'm a LEO and so is my husband. There is nothing for you to do unless you truly feel that the officer mistreated you (your boyfriend) in some way. In that case, call the department and file a formal complaint. The officer's badge number should be on the warning ticket.
42157
Well, the question about blue lights tells me you're not in California.  If you had said what state you are in, someone might have been able to give you a better answer (maybe your state requires law enforcement to use their emergency lights to pull you over....but I doubt it very much).\n\nThat said, not using his lights on you was a very clever tactic that experienced police officers use.  Without the lights, there is probably no issue as to detention (meaning he didn't even need a reason to stop you, because you stopped yourself and he just walked up and began talking to you).  Police officers, just like everyone else in the country, have the right to walk up to someone and just start talking to them - and if the person stands there and engages in conversation, it's all good and anything that comes from it is just as constitutionally sound as if the officer had probable cause to make the stop in the first place.  \n\nHowever, if the officer pulled in behind you and blocked your ability to leave - even if you didn't try or want to - then it very likely will be considered a detention by the courts, and will require the appropriate constitutional factors to justify the detention.  You said the officer arranged for another cop car to block your way, so that would likely be considered a detention by the courts.  However, the officer is claiming you were speeding, so assuming he can prove that to the court's satisfaction, he could have called in a hundred cars to block you in and it wouldn't matter...blue lights or no.
382848
nope! Sounds like you got away with it for awhile! Let me guess, you were parked in a fire lane! Hefty fines!\n\nYou can always go to court to despute it, but don't expect to win!
232763
If they left with out paying for gas and all they left behind was a card then most likely it was stolen!   But why didn't you guys called the cops??  You should have made a report that such person w/ this type of car came provided a possible stolen card and left w/ out paying for the gas...   \n\nFor all we know this individual may have committed a worst crime minutes earlier! Also, in the future you should write down all license plate #'s down in case this ever happens again.
478167
Did he leave a note on the cars first?  Why wouldn't the cops do anything, they always seem happy to write tickets when I see them.  I probably would have used bricks on the cars instead of eggs but that's just me.
226500
I have been arrested for accessory to an attempted shoplift of A candy bar.I never left the car.The kid didnt even steal the candy bar.I didnt know A thing about it,and the kid didnt even do it,but They arrested me.To make matters worse,it wasnt even my kid.
134944
Check to see if there are any attorney's in your area that would talk with you about this or you might check with the court that the ticket went through, or The Department of Public Saftey DL division & ask if maybe he needs to go to driving school or what he needs to do to handle this.....hope this might help....let me know if you have any questions....-R
311736
Oddly, there are some really good answers here.  I usually have to wade through all the donut cracks and Patriot Act garbage to see anything worth reading.\n\nHowever, the question leaves something to be desired.\n\nYou've said you hate to generalize, but that's exactly what you done, and you've done it on a grand scale.  On what do you base your hypothesis that cops get annoyed when people exercise their rights?  Talking about the Los Angeles Police Department alone, there's right around 10,000 cops there.  Your question makes it sound like you've witnessed an awful lot of them get annoyed when people exercise their rights...and that's just Los Angeles.  I'm assuming you don't know, and haven't watched, even 0.01% of the law enforcement officers in this country do their jobs and yet your question assumes cops get annoyed when people exercise their rights, that "almost all" law enforcement officers want people to know as little as possible about their rights, and that "every" time people exercise their rights, the police are "always" there ready to violate them.\n\nSounds to me like you have an agenda.\n\nHaving said that, I'm sure some cops do get annoyed, that they do it for the reasons others have mentioned here, and probably for other reasons as well.  Some cops are jerks...and so are some lawyers, some dentists, some plumbers, some senators and some housewives.  As a group, though, we take an awful lot of precautions in the hiring practices for people who are given the authority they are...something few other career fields do.  \n\nPersonally, I am one of the exceptions you say "may" exist.  I dealt with a 16 year old kid recently who adamantly refused to allow me to search his car.  I was very impressed with the way he communicated his wishes to me and his exercise of his right to be free from unreasonable search - and I told him so.  Then I searched his car, because it reeked of marijuana (which, as it turned out, is because marijuana was in it).  And no, he didn't get a ticket...the weed was destroyed, I thanked him for his time, and he drove away somewhat surprised.  I know I am not alone in my profession when it comes to my respect for people exercising their rights.\n\nAnd having said that, I have two last comments:\n\nI have been annoyed by people who *thought* they were exercising their rights.  People who stand there and demand to have a lawyer before they decide which chemical test to take (no such right in California), people who demand to see a search warrant that allows me to search a vehicle (don't need one, in 99% of cases), people who think they know the laws of arrest ("you can't arrest me, you didn't see me do it") when very often we don't have to actually witness a crime to make an arrest.  I don't mind people asking, and I will bend over backwards to answer and educate them, but this holier-than-thou, I'll-have-your-badge, I-know-the-law-better-than-you, and of course, I-know-my-rights-and-you-can't-do-that attitude does get annoying after a while.  \n\nI don't make enough money to go around violating someone's rights because I couldn't afford the punishment if I did...I don't know a single cop who does.  I know there are certainly some idiots out there who have, but if you consider the total number of police officers in this country, and the relative scarcity of news related to this topic, I hope you'll see that perhaps you aren't giving the profession a fair shake.  Sure...when we screw up we do it BIG...but we really don't do it as often as you're making it sound.  \n\nSorry for the length...it's a subject I could talk about for quite a while.
287568
Wow.  I continue to be amazed by some of the answers folks have here.\n\nI'm going to assume you're in California, since you made reference to not having a California license:\n\nThylawyer has a good answer - just because you don't know why you were pulled over does not mean there wasn't a perfectly legal reason to do so.  Your assertion that the police didn't have probable cause (which isn't the standard used in California) because you think you were obeying all traffic laws is bizarre...you said yourself that you don't know why they pulled you over, so how can you assume they didn't have a reason?\n\nAnd despite what people are saying here, police in California cannot pull you over solely to find out if you have a license.\n\nSo the answer your question is yes, you can get the charges dimissed if the police did not have a legal reason to stop you - but you have no business assuming they had no reason to stop you just because *you* think you were obeying all the laws (and again, police in this state do not need probable cause to stop you, they only need reasonable suspicion).
153008
Okay, your plate light was out. What brought on the search and siezure? What was the probable cause to search? Did he smell marijuana emanating from the pipe? If the cop had no indication that you were intoxicated and just pulled you over for a lite out with no other indication for a search then you are being played. The officer should have notified you of said search and the reasons why. What state did this happen in?!
284957
Doesn't matter if they read your rights or not, that will only get you out of any incriminating statements you made... Do you have a record of any kind?  If not try to get a plea deal for probation and have the charges reduced to disorderly conduct.  What area/city/state are you in?  That makes a big difference too.  If you do get infront of the judge explain how you just graduated and weren't thinking right and you know you made some bad decisions and other crap he wants to hear... and dress nicely...  Theoretically you could get jail time and have your license suspended (in PA 6 mo for posession and another 6-12 for underage alcohol...)  but, like I said, if you have a clean sheet, and your look nice and act nice and make sure the judge knows how sorry you were you should get off with a tap on the wrist... a year or two of light probation and a fine... remember though, if you get stuck with posession it follows you for the rest of you life as a drug conviction, so do whatever to get that reduced...
21663
Your question is a little vague.  What state did this happen in?  Are you (or are any of the occupants) of the vehicle on probation or parole?  Did you give permission for your vehicle to be searched?  Do you know why it was searched?  Were alcohol or drugs in the vehicle (or was there any indication that alcohol or drugs were in the vehicle?) When you say it was seized, are you referring to the police actually taking it away from you, or are you just saying it was seized while they searched it?  You ask what to do...depends on what happened.  Were you cited?  Arrested?  Was contraband of some kind found?  The issue of probable cause to search anything can often hinge on very small details...I'll suggest that you're going to have a difficult time finding cases that will assist you in getting an education.  You can try searching through FindLaw.Com and see where that gets you.  If nothing came of the search (nobody was arrested or cited or anything), then perhaps you want to consider complaining about the officer's action to his department.  If something came of it, and you're going to court, then you need to speak with an attorney.  I may be able to help you sort some of this out if you'd like, but we'd probably need to do that in email.  Post an address if you'd like...
471371
First of all did they have a search warrant and if so how specific or broad was the scope of the search?  If they had a warrant and followed all of the particulars of the warrant then in all likelihood what they did was legal.  At the execution of the warrant they are not required to arrest anyone though most times they do.  It is not safe to say you are OK until the statute of limitations is up.  Until then you can be arrested for any number of charges based on the evidence they took.  You are unlikely to get any of the things back that they took but if you get anything it will be the lamp and the computer.  I would consult with a lawyer to find out what your rights are and aren't in this situation and the possible outcomes if they use the evidence they retrieved to arrest you.
340756
The same questions they ask me.  Drivers license and proof of insurance.  If I don't have that, it's get out of the car.....I'm toted off to jail and my car impounded till I can provide the documents that are necessary.  I've had them shine a light in my car and hold my art eraser till it was determined it wasn't contraband.  I got some deal on my ticket for disrespecting an officer because I busted out laughing while he was sniffing my eraser.  I've had my car searched for no other reason than an outed tail light.  I've randomly had to be subjected to sobriety tests and a pat down.  Been in a car in which we were pulled over because the police thought the driver "looked funny".  We agreed, but the police officer didn't think it was funny.  I have been pulled over as a youth and had my parents called to see if they knew where I was.  I have been repeatedly pulled over time and time again by a cop because I drove a van that was considered the "type of vehicle" a drug trafficer would drive.  I've been pulled over because they wanted to be sure I wasn't being abducted since the passenger was a black person.  I've also turned a corner without putting on a turn signal and been let go.  I've had police officers help me when I was stranded on the side of the road without a question asked.\n\nI'd like to know when you aren't required to have your license on you when you are driving a vehicle!  I thought that was a basic rule#1.
670750
You are correct in your statement about when you're pulled over by any law enforcement officer.  However, if they suspect that you have something illegal in your vehicle or on your person, they DO have the obligation to ask you about it (it's called probable cause).  While you probably don't WANT to get into trouble, it's wiser to come clean than to lie.  Lying can only make matters worse.