Police can’t just pull you over whenever they feel like it. If an officer stops you without valid legal justification, everything that happens afterward might not hold up in court. That includes breathalyzer results, field sobriety tests, and whatever the officer claims to have observed about your condition.
Our friends at Eastside DUI discuss how questioning the legality of that initial stop often becomes the cornerstone of an effective defense strategy. A Bellevue DUI defense lawyer will dig into every aspect of your case to figure out whether law enforcement actually had proper grounds to initiate the stop in the first place.
What Makes A Traffic Stop Legal?
Officers need reasonable suspicion. They can’t rely on gut feelings or hunches. The law requires specific, articulable facts suggesting you’ve violated a traffic law or committed a crime. Traffic violations that commonly justify stops include:
- Speeding or driving unusually slowly
- Weaving between lanes or drifting over lane markers
- Equipment problems, like a broken taillight
- Failing to use turn signals
- Running stop signs or red lights
The officer needs to clearly explain what you did wrong. Vague language in their report, like “suspicious driving,” won’t cut it. Without concrete details, the stop becomes vulnerable to challenge.
Anonymous Tips And DUI Stops
Sometimes another driver calls in a report, and that’s what gets you pulled over. But an anonymous tip by itself usually isn’t enough. The officer typically needs to see something themselves before making the stop legal. Courts have been pretty clear about this. Police must corroborate what the anonymous caller reported. If someone phones 911 about erratic driving, the officer should document what they personally witnessed before turning on their lights. No independent verification? The stop might not survive a legal challenge.
Sobriety Checkpoints Follow Different Rules
DUI checkpoints don’t work the same way as regular traffic stops. They operate under their own legal framework. Law enforcement has to follow strict protocols: advance public notice, neutral criteria for which vehicles get stopped, and proper supervision by higher-ranking officers. When checkpoints don’t meet these requirements, arrests stemming from them can be contested.
How Challenging The Stop Affects Your Case
Here’s what happens when a court decides the initial stop violated your rights. The exclusionary rule kicks in. This legal principle bars prosecutors from using evidence obtained illegally. If the stop gets tossed, everything collected afterward goes with it. You’re looking at the loss of:
- Field sobriety test results
- Breathalyzer or blood test readings
- Officer observations about slurred speech or bloodshot eyes
- Anything you said during the encounter
Without that evidence, the prosecution’s case often falls apart. Plenty of DUI charges get reduced or dismissed completely when the stop can’t survive scrutiny.
What Your Attorney Will Investigate
Any thorough case review starts with examining the traffic stop itself. Your attorney will pull dash cam footage, body camera recordings, and the officer’s written report. They’re looking for gaps between what the officer claims happened and what the video actually shows. Police reports matter more than you might think. Contradictory statements raise serious questions. When an officer’s testimony shifts between the initial report and later court testimony, that creates additional ammunition for your defense.
Protecting Your Rights After A DUI Arrest
You can’t always tell from surface details whether your traffic stop was legal. What looks like a legitimate equipment violation might fall apart under closer examination. Officers sometimes exaggerate in their reports or use pretextual stops that won’t hold up when challenged. Timing makes a difference here. Video evidence gets automatically deleted after certain periods. Officers’ memories fade with time. Getting legal representation quickly preserves your options and protects valuable evidence. If you’re facing DUI charges, an attorney can review exactly what happened during your stop and help you understand whether challenging it makes sense for your particular situation.