what is the protocol for being stopped by a cop who thought your registration was expired?

Question

my friend was stopped by a cop who misread her registration sticker to be 06 when it was actually '07.When he came up to her he asked to see her registration and license without telling her why he stopped her in the first place.so she said she wanted to know why she was being stopped and the cop said that he thought her sticker was for '06.so my friend says that then if that was the case then she hadn't done anything wrong and didn't see the need for giving her license and stood her ground on it.I would have done the same it was his mistake all he had to do was apologise for stopping her for no reason.Unfortunately becoz my friend refused to give him the what he asked for.He called 4 units on her for refusing to give her license and he took her to jail 8pm and released her 12pm that night.My qstn is was this called for and what can she do about it.Isn't the officer supposed to tell you why he stopped you before getting anything from you?anybody who knows how these things work answer

Answer 1

An officer can legally stop you if he suspects or sees a violation, and then check your license and registration. Even if the officer made a mistake. If you were innocent and had nothing to hide, it should have been no big deal to show the officer the license. Unfortunately, your friend just made it worse for herself in this case. Your best bet is to ALWAYS be polite to a police officer. When he/she asks, show the officer the ID. Usually the officer will ask if you have any idea why he/she stopped you. If not, it is okay to ask why, but he still has the right to ask for and obtain ID once he has stopped you, even if it did turn out to be a mistake. Officers are human, too.

Answer 2

Smart alec answer: don't molest the bears.

Real answer is that an officer needs probable cause to pull you over. If the officer really did mistake the sticker its still a legal stop and your friend is required to provide identification, registration and proof of insurance.

I don't know where your friend lives but it's not smart to smart off to the cops. They have a hard enough job to do. When someone doen't cooperate, cops are trained to think - what does this person have to hide? If he really called 4 back-up units I would think your friend did a lot more than just lip off. Either that or her name is very similar to someone who had a warrant. Cops don't take people in to teach them a lesson these days. There are too many watch groups to raise the hue and cry. There seems to be a detail or too missing here.

If your friend feels they were treated unfairly of if the sticker was just a lame excuse to get a statistic they she should contact whoever handles complaints against the police dept. Is there a citizen review board she could contact?

Answer 3

State law requires you to show license, registration, and proof of insurance when an officer asks for it. While your friend might have had a current registration sticker on her plate, it might have been forged (Yes, that does happen). That's one of the reasons we check the registration. Another reason is she might not be the owner of the car. Making sure a car is properly registered, insured, and driven by a licensed driver is a major way law enforcement tries to keep your streets safe.

Your friend was properly arrested. She should have also been charged and required to pay a fine.

Some people are their own worst enemy. All she accomplished was wasting everyone's time.

Answer 4

If a waiter screwed up your order would you refuse to pay for it,leave and possibly risk getting arrested? The police officer may have admitted he screwed up, but when your friend decided to play legal eagle with a law enforcement officer, she obviously lost. Just because an officer of the law screwed up doesn't mean that you are not required to comply with his orders.
Simply, the police officer may have screwed up by pulling you over. He was assuming that your friend had nothing to hide anyway so simply asked for her DL to verify that the driver was in compliance with driving laws. Had she been cited for not having a driver's license, but had ID. A court date would have been scheduled and a JUDGE, I say again A JUDGE would have most likely ruled in your favor, and the officer's mistake would have legally secured your dismissal of the violation and would have been verbally counseled by his super. But that wasn't the case. In all honesty, he could have cited your friend for disorderly conduct or breach of public peace. You don't have to be drunk for that one. If she received a free tour of your local jail, good for her. Choose your battles well. The officer made a mistake in terms of realizing he was wrong, however he was within his right as he believed your friend was in violation prior to the stop.

Answer 5

I agree with the person before me. She must have done something more to make him call four units on her. Maybe she looked like someone who had commited a crime or maybe her car matched the description of a get away vehicle. Either way she should not have refused the liscense. It is not a good thing to do.

Answer 6

Police are allowed to stop anyone operating a motor vehicle on a roadway to gather particulars of the driver and to confirm that the driver has their documents.

ie Drivers license, ownership and insurance.

Failing to id yourself while driving is an arrestable offence..

Answer 7

Any time an officer ask for identification, one must show it. There aren't any exceptions. Since your friend refused, he had every right to take the actions he did.

Answer 8

If you have time to waste and want to see the inside of a jail house, behave like your friend. Otherwise, just be polite and go along with the program and have a nice evening with your friends or family. Duh!