So ya uhh VA State Troopers ruined my night(illegal search?/clarifications?)

Please keep in mind through this story, that I am a very respectful looking 16 year old Caucasian male. I was wearing puma shoes, cleanly cut jeans, a subaru t-shirt, and a fleece jacket. My hair is short and cleanly kept, and I have no piercings. Nothing makes me stand out as a rebel or any sort of a threat. I also live in a good area of the suburbs, and was pulled over in a nice area near a shopping center.




Alright well it was a pretty normal night, I was on my way home from having my car aligned. I was at a light at the end of the exit ramp about to turn left onto a 4 lane divided highway. As I turned onto the stretch of road, I noticed a trooper parked in the median. My radar detector may or may not have gone off, but I saw him regardless. My exhaust was unbolted before the muffler because I was replacing the donut which seals everything. The exhaust was not hanging, it was secured, but it was loud. So I was very careful to shift at 2k rpms until I worked my way up to 5th gear as I passed the officer. I passed him at almost 45mph and the speed limit was 45mph. I saw him fly up behind me, by the point that I knew what was going on I had reached where the road merged to one lane. Well I was forced to choose one of three options, I apply the brakes very hard and risk the officer rear ending me, I could go off into gravel which was very close to a ditch, or I could drive slowly for the next mile until I knew there was a safe place to turn off. So I acknowledged that the officer was there, but the only option I had at that point was to keep going or turn into a driveway because now it was a 2 lane highway with no median. Well this officer proceeded to use his sirens, then his spotlights, then flash his highbeams as if I didn't see him there. While I was driving 35-40mph with no where to turn off. By this point, I had removed my radar detector and attempted to conceal it under the passenger seat. As the officers approached I put my hands on my wheel, turned off the radio, and put my cell phone in my lap. One officer went to the right side of my car and one to my side.



Officer: What took you so long to pull over?

Me: This was the first place I felt it was safe and lawful to stop.

Officer: Whose car is this?

Me: My car sir.

Officer: Not your parents or a neighbors or something?

Me: No, it is my car sir.

Officer: Alright(shines flashlight in vehicle)

Officer: Did you pull anything out of your windshield before I stopped you?

Me: I do not know what you are talking about(thinking I was properly using the 5th amendment and not incriminating myself)

Officer: License and registration please.

Me: I announced that my wallet was in my back pocket and that I was going to reach for it.

Officer: What is that between your legs?

Me: My phone(I hand him my license)

Me: I then announce that my registration is in my glove box and I am going to reach for it.

Officer: Is there anything illegal in this vehicle I should know about?

Me: (Thinking he is referring to drugs or something) No sir.

Officer: Step out of the vehicle.

Me: Yes sir

Officer: Please go to the back of the vehicle and put your hands on the trunk. He begins to frisk me and asks if I have weapons, he also kicks my legs further apart.

Me: I reply no I do not have weapons

Officer: I gave you two chances not to lie to me about the radar detector, he goes and opens my passenger door and retrieves it from under the seat. He had seen it when he shined the light in the back seat, it wasn't fully concealed.



At this point there are now two state troopers and two squad cars present. The officer wants to know if I have anything illegal in my car. Then he says I lied to him twice so he can't trust me anymore and makes me stand by the curb with one officer as he is shining his flashlight throughout my car.



Me: I tell the officer I do not consent to him searching my vehicle because I do not believe he has probable cause

Officer: He then holds up the radar detector

Me: I do not believe that is probable cause to search my vehicle sir

Officer: No you are correct. I am going to give you two options, either you plug this device into your vehicle and let me see that it is in operational condition, or I will "rip that wiring harness" out of your vehicle and power it up in mine.

Me: Am I required by law to do either of those sir?

Officer: Yes.

Me: I will turn it on for you in my vehicle then.



I go and plug it up in my vehicle, and when it turns on it says "service required" and just beeps. At this point I am thinking in my head it decided to break now. The officer then has me turn it off and then back on. I do as he says and he goes to his car to use his detector detector. Well once again it says "service required". He gets frustrated at this point and starts pushing buttons and thinks I am somehow trying to trick him. The officer then takes the detector back to his vehicle and tells me to stay in my vehicle.



At this point, my mom shows up along with two more troopers. I stayed in my car for about 30 minutes with the officers standing around back by their cars. It is 40 degrees out, I can't start my car and I have the windows down, I am shivering at this point. Then the officer finally comes to my window and tells me that I need to remove myself from the vehicle once again. He tells me I need to stay next to his squad car and face the officer who was standing in the opposite direction of my vehicle. Then they tell me they have brought the k9 narcotic dogs to smell my vehicle. Well they are trying to make me keep my back to my vehicle, and I ask to turn around. Officer says it's alright so I watch, both of my doors are open and the dog is walking around. Then the officer frisks me again and wants me to empty my pockets.



Officer: Do you have any illegal drugs in the car you would like to tell me about

Me: No sir

K9 officer: Do you smoke marijuana, do you have friends who smoke mj, or ever let anyone in your car smoke?

Me: No sir I am not a smoker, and this car is my baby, there is no smoking in my car nor food or drink.

Officer: Have you ever smoked marijuana or done illegal drugs?

Me: No sir.

Officer: Well we are going to search your vehicle because the dog picked up a scent.



Well I never saw the dog do anything besides walk around the vehicle normally, I never saw any sign of the dog recognizing anything. While one officer searches the vehicle and goes through EVERYTHING, including pulling out and examining a condom I had stashed away under my cd deck in my trunk. By this time I have seen several of my friends/their parents drive by in shock(they all know my car) and there are 4 state police cars and two officers searching my car. During this time, I had a very nice conversation with the K9 officer, who was the first one to ask me anything polite like where I went to school and what sports I played or anything. Like geez I'm not some criminal, I'm a 16 year old kid with a radar detector and a modified car. The officers find nothing in my car, then they proceed to ask about my modifications.



Officer: How much did this body kit cost you?

Me: I have not done any body mods sir.

Officer: What have you done to the suspension then?

Me: It is an aftermarket suspension sir.

Officer: You do know your tire is rubbing your fender.

Me: Yes sir, I am aware, it is not currently doing that, it is from with more than one person in the car, and before fender work. I plan to do more work to fix this later on this week.

Officer: Why do you not have a front plate on your vehicle?

Me: My front plate is under my seat, it was hit and bent in a parking lot, and I have not had time to get a new one yet.

Officer: What does "SRS-BZNS" mean, and why do you have another plate under your seat?

Me: I told him what it meant, and told him the plate was from when I first registered the car, and then a week later I purchased the vanity plate.



Then he went and looked at the front bumper but did not measure anything. Then he shined his flashlight under my car in several places and running his hand under the vehicle.



Officer: Why are there zipties on your exhaust?

Me: It is undone because I am missing a seal that I need to replace tonight or tomorrow, the zipties are just holding the clamps so that they do not rattle.

Officer: Oh alright, well you have a seat in your vehicle and I will have your summonses in a moment.



Well an hour and a half has passed by of me on the side of the road, and at this point I am really freezing, I am shivering and my teeth are chattering, but I can't go to my mom's car 10 feet in front of mine with the heat on. And I can't start my car either. So I sit there, and it takes another 30 min before the officer leaves his car. He comes up to my window and then says he is going to go inform my mom of what is going on and then come talk to me. He comes back to my car.



Officer: I am issuing you 4 summons that I need you to sign, they are prepayable or you may go to court. Please sign on the X's

Me: Yes sir.



Citations:

1. Possession of a radar detector
2. Improper exhaust
3. Altered Suspension
4. No front plate

This all seems like it was a bit fishy to me and I feel that this may not all have been done by the books. There are some very knowledgeable and experienced fanatics in matters like these and I would really appreciate your input. I have recapped the incident to the best of my abilities while being very detailed hence the length. I believe the altered suspension ticket will be dismissed, because the law states the top of my bumper must be 14-22 inches off the ground and that the wheels can not come in contact with the body of the car, and the top of my rub strip on the front bumper is 16 inches and I do not rub the lips of my wheels. Several of my friends have also had the front plate dismissed by date stamping a photo with it attached and showing your compliance. But I would really like to here what some of you have to say.

In before

"Woah hold it, I ain't readin all that sh!t"

Originally Posted by SteelGray3

Please keep in mind through this story, that I am a very respectful looking 16 year old Caucasian male. I was wearing puma shoes, cleanly cut jeans, a subaru t-shirt, and a fleece jacket. My hair is short and cleanly kept, and I have no piercings. Nothing makes me stand out as a rebel or any sort of a threat. I also live in a good area of the suburbs, and was pulled over in a nice area near a shopping center.

whats that supposed to mean?

lol I actually read the whole thing.

Sucks for you man... tons of cops were either bullies in HS and became cops to continue to pick on people or they were the ones that got picked on and now they want to take revenge on the rest of the world.

There, I said it.

~~~inb4 anything else~~~

read the whole thing why dont you spark note for others

If you're 16 and you just said the car was yours and not your parents, you just lied to the cops.

When he ran that plate, it's in one of your parents name. I don't live in VA, but I'm guessing the laws are similar there.

what an a$$

CLIFFS

- OP is a young black male and was speeding 5mph over the limit
- Cop pulls him over and OP refuses to turn off his car because he is cold and needs the heater
- Cop forces OP out of his car, searches it and finds a radar detector and a joint
- OP gets written up and drives home

I'll start with, get a lawyer. This is a good, grey area example of how bad it sucks to be a kid with a modified car. I would think the exhaust, suspension, and front plate are fix it tickets yeah? The radar detector is all you, you know you screwed that one up, but the others are a form of charge stacking, legal, but crap. Your answers are to the officer were outstanding, especially for your age. You did everything you could've under the circumstance. You can not fight with a cop, they just enforce the laws, now it's your turn to fight back and get a lawyer and take this to court. Each state has a law regarding how long one can be made to reasonable detained during a traffic stop, and 2 hours is going to be far past most any state, but I'm sure the cops could make the claim that it was reasonable, hence why you need a lawyer.

Again, you did great, they stuck it to you and now it's time to stick back. From now on, get those broken things fixed, or make sure you're within the state laws acceptable levels. Let us know how this goes, I'm sure you'll be able to get most of the tickets dismissed. Now do you have a case for the surpreme court? unfortunately no, the cops pulled the magic they do and you paid for it.

good luck.

StanceTicket

why didn't you stab him?

Originally Posted by 98E36M3

If you're 16 and you just said the car was yours and not your parents, you just lied to the cops.

When he ran that plate, it's in one of your parents name. I don't live in VA, but I'm guessing the laws are similar there.

My name is on the registration along with my dad's.

Originally Posted by Wes

CLIFFS

- OP is a young black male and was speeding 5mph over the limit
- Cop pulls him over and OP refuses to turn off his car because he is cold and needs the heater
- Cop forces OP out of his car, searches it and finds a radar detector and a joint
- OP gets written up and drives home

TROOF. jk you fail.

Originally Posted by deadpass

I'll start with, get a lawyer. This is a good, grey area example of how bad it sucks to be a kid with a modified car. I would think the exhaust, suspension, and front plate are fix it tickets yeah? The radar detector is all you, you know you screwed that one up, but the others are a form of charge stacking, legal, but crap. Your answers are to the officer were outstanding, especially for your age. You did everything you could've under the circumstance. You can not fight with a cop, they just enforce the laws, now it's your turn to fight back and get a lawyer and take this to court. Each state has a law regarding how long one can be made to reasonable detained during a traffic stop, and 2 hours is going to be far past most any state, but I'm sure the cops could make the claim that it was reasonable, hence why you need a lawyer.

Again, you did great, they stuck it to you and now it's time to stick back. From now on, get those broken things fixed, or make sure you're within the state laws acceptable levels. Let us know how this goes, I'm sure you'll be able to get most of the tickets dismissed. Now do you have a case for the surpreme court? unfortunately no, the cops pulled the magic they do and you paid for it.

good luck.

Thank you so much for your response. I am unsure about wasting money on a lawyer if I could be prepared properly and not have to waste the money on one.

It sounds like you did the right things BUT

I'm willing to bet that your decision to wait and pull over did you more harm then good as I'm pretty sure you were trying to play the "I did it for your safety officer" card. Driving a mile to the next exit is not only a really long mile for you the driver, but for the cop as well. He has no idea what your intentions are and is seriously wondering wtf you are doing taking your sweet time to pull over and if you are trying to hide anything. To add on top of that, you made abrupt movements to take down your radar detector. If you need to hide or conceal something while you're being pulled over, try and keep your movements from the elbow down only. It's a little harder to see from behind that you are fidgeting with something that way.

A lawyer is going to know best to help you out with your 2 hour traffic stop and try to get your 4 citations dismissed on that ground, but I'm thinking you may be held liable for at least 3 of the citations (radar, exhaust, front plate).

When a cop pulls me over, I let HIM off with a warning

Originally Posted by SteelGray3

ou so much for your response. I am unsure about wasting money on a lawyer if I could be prepared properly and not have to waste the money on one.

I really don't see this happening. Not only do you not have a comprehensive understanding of your state's laws and vehicle codes... I don't think a 16 year old could stand up to the bullying that will ensue come your hearing.

Officer: Did you pull anything out of your windshield before I stopped you?

Me: I do not know what you are talking about(thinking I was properly using the 5th amendment and not incriminating myself)

I honestly think that was the mistake there.

Originally Posted by NorCal Einstein

It sounds like you did the right things BUT

I'm willing to bet that your decision to wait and pull over did you more harm then good as I'm pretty sure you were trying to play the "I did it for your safety officer" card. Driving a mile to the next exit is not only a really long mile for you the driver, but for the cop as well. He has no idea what your intentions are and is seriously wondering wtf you are doing taking your sweet time to pull over and if you are trying to hide anything. To add on top of that, you made abrupt movements to take down your radar detector. If you need to hide or conceal something while you're being pulled over, try and keep your movements from the elbow down only. It's a little harder to see from behind that you are fidgeting with something that way.

A lawyer is going to know best to help you out with your 2 hour traffic stop and try to get your 4 citations dismissed on that ground, but I'm thinking you may be held liable for at least 3 of the citations (radar, exhaust, front plate).

I apologized to the officer for that, and hoped he would understand that it was just a kid who was very nervous and not trying to do the wrong thing. I also took the detector down after I passed the officer, but before he pulled onto the road. My other option for pulling over realistically was someone's driveway which I didn't want to do.

Originally Posted by NorCal Einstein

I really don't see this happening. Not only do you not have a comprehensive understanding of your state's laws and vehicle codes... I don't think a 16 year old could stand up to the bullying that will ensue come your hearing.

May be the truth. I might have to weigh my options a bit more because a lawyer is serious $ out of my pocket.

Originally Posted by InVisib0L

I honestly think that was the mistake there.

I do too. I wish I would have taken the damn ticket or whatever and moved on with my life.

Originally Posted by SteelGray3

Please keep in mind through this story, that I am a very respectful looking 16 year old Caucasian male.

This OP is racist.

should've told him you were running OEM sport springs or something.

and yeah, he's a dick. i've been in the same situation were you don't wanna challenge the cop or anything, but because of that he'll just keep pushing on you, and there's no safe way to oppose them....