Is Drinking From What Looks Like a Beer Bottle RS for a Stop?
Does drinking from a brown glass bottle, similar to what a beer bottle looks like, give an officer reason to suspect a violation and stop someone to investigate a potential open container violation or DUI? So, look, this question comes from a retired officer who wanted to bring something to my attention. He was in […]
Must You Bring Your Supervisor on Scene if Requested?
Here is the question. If someone on a traffic stop says, “I want to see your supervisor, bring them to the scene. I’m not going anywhere until I talk to your supervisor,” do you have to call your supervisor, or can you just handle the situation and tell them to go down to the police […]
Chinaryan versus the LAPD
Can police use highly intrusive tactics like pointing guns and proning out people during a routine high risk traffic stop for a stolen vehicle? We have to talk about Chinaryan versus the LAPD. It all begins on June 14, 2019 when the LAPD conducted a high risk traffic stop on a black Chevy Suburban with […]
What is the Motor Vehicle Exception?
The automobile, or motor vehicle exception allows officers to search cars for evidence, contraband, and fruits or instrumentalities of crimes without a search warrant. When you ask cops, “What does it take to search these cars?” Many of them will just say, “Probable cause.” Well, let’s be technical, Technically, legally, there are four factors to […]
Searching Passengers for Marijuana
Today we are going to answer a question that a lot of you have on your mind. Can you search a vehicle’s passenger for marijuana? And the answer is: probably. However, I have to go into some legal reasoning here because the answer is really not that clear. There are two key cases I want […]
Traffic Stop Searches with Consent
Here’s a question from Texas. The officer says, If I get consent to search a vehicle, does the traffic stop have to end before I can search? And the answer is”No.” Consent includes with it the agreement to extend the traffic stop. Does that make sense? We know that when it comes to traffic stops, […]
Consent from Intoxicated Vehicle Owner
This question comes from an officer in the great state of Texas. Maybe it’s the Great Republic of Texas. (I don’t know, technically, if that’s what they call it down there.) This officer has a great scenario. Basically the question is: Can an intoxicated owner of a vehicle give consent to search? (Right, despite being […]
Towing a Rental Car
Hello everyone. It’s Anthony Bandiero, attorney and legal instructor for Blue to Gold Law Enforcement Training. Here is today’s question. Can cops automatically tow a rental car if the driver is not on the rental agreement? Well, the answer is that we don’t really have a lot of case on this very issue. Because really, […]
Extending Traffic Stop to Get Consent
Can police continue to ask for consent if the person is not giving an answer? This question is from an officer in Minnesota. Basically he asks this; “Say I’m looking for consent to search a motor vehicle. I asked the person if they would allow me to search their car, they beat around the bush […]
Reasonable Suspicion Stop for a Texas Buyer Tag
Did the Texas buyer plate give the officer proper reasonable suspicion to make the traffic stop? So this officer sees a vehicle at almost midnight in an area that’s kind of known for high crime and so forth, and sees a vehicle bearing a Texas buyer’s plate. Okay, so here is the reason why the […]
Are Passengers Allowed to Leave The Traffic Stop?
The question that we have this time is: Are passengers free to leave a traffic stop? The short answer is “NO.” Here’s why. The US Supreme Court has stated in a few decisions that passengers are seized under the Fourth Amendment when they are in a vehicle during a traffic stop. So they are seized. […]
Searching a Parked and Unoccupied Car in New Jersey with PC
Can New Jersey police officers search a parked and unoccupied car with probably cause? Great question. My name is Anthony Bandiero. I’m an attorney and senior legal instructor for Blue to Gold Law Enforcement Training. I do teach in New Jersey, and I’m a licensed New Jersey attorney. This answer is obviously going to be […]