Nothing Good Comes From A Traffic Stop

Posted on behalf of Donahue & Walsh, P.C. | October 13, 2021

An old piece of motherly advice that resurfaces every now and then is that “nothing good happens after midnight”.  For the purposes of criminal law and protecting your constitutional rights, we’ll add this: nothing good comes from a traffic stop.

The best thing that can happen when you are pulled over by the police is that you provide your license and registration, nod your head as the officer warns you about your behavior, and then get back on the road.

So, at best, you experience the anxiety of a police encounter and wind up being late to whatever you were driving to. At worst you receive a fine only offense. However, some traffic stops can lead to other charges if the officers suspicions are raised to investigate other crimes. Traffic stops often lead to other offenses, such as:

·         Possession of a controlled substance

·         Driving under the influence of alcohol

·         Driving under the influence of drugs or combination of drugs

·         Driving under the combined influence of alcohol, other drugs, or intoxicating compounds

·         Illegal transportation or possession of alcoholic liquor by driver in a motor vehicle

·         Possession of adult use cannabis in passenger area of motor vehicle

·         Obstruction of a police officer

If a “routine” traffic stop leads to more, your first call should be an experienced criminal defense lawyer who can challenge the evidence against you and limit your exposure to harsh criminal penalties.

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