Got pulled over on the way home after a 16 hrs shift. Cop said the reason was my license plate light was out. He ran my license and gave me a written warning. I stopped at the next gas station and looked since I have replaced them less than 2 years ago. They both were working just fine. Now it was no problem just added 10 mins to my drive home but clearly another example of why I have a negative opinion of most cops. Lie to stop to poke around the old beat up truck. Seemed like he was expecting a younger individual to screw with not such a distinguished looking gentleman. Now if he wanted a legit reason he could have said my busted turn single on the front from hiting the deer last month.

If I thought it would do any good I would file a report but that would be pointless. Lie over something so simple and break the law with illegal stop he will do much worse illegal things. If nothing else reinforce negative public opinions.

There's a town on State Route 36, in Ohio called St. Paris. Diane calls it Evil St. Paris. If you drove through late at night, unless somebody else was pulled over, you were getting pulled over. My friend James and I would go frogging at some really good ponds on the other side and come back through at around 2:30am. We always got pulled over, until James put veteran plates on his van, like I suggested. The last time we got pulled over, I asked the cop why he stopped us, he quickly said don't worry you're not getting a ticket. When I insisted he tell us why, he got flustered and said "You have a tail light out or something." I said show me and started to get out. He said stay in and get out of here. When we got back to James's farm, all the tail lights worked.

Years apart, both of my grandmothers died in Troy, on the far side of St. Paris. I got stopped twice coming back from visiting each of them, taking the late death watch. Diane yelled at the cop the last two times.

When I had my security company, several of my most incompetent guards worked for St. Paris. We paid them almost $3.00 an hour higher than St. Paris did. I think St. Paris paid $5.40 an hour. They worked there to keep their police certifications opened, while they tried to get a job with a better small department. In Ohio, your certification expires after graduation, if you don't work for a licensed police department at least once every 6 months.

I hate St. Paris.

Keith

Maybe the old beat up truck has a loose connection and the tag light was out when he pulled you over.

Not a chance its a smaller town I have to drive through that's almost become part of my home town because of growth. 3 Newburg( last nights stop) 1Chandler( the worse like Keith's example) and 2 boonville are the 3 largest town in Warrick county and all 3 are the same. Numbers ranked 1 to 3 in how bad worse at 1.

Request the dash cam footage

Only a 16 hour shift?

After a 16 hour shift he knew you needed a rest stop so you could make it home safely. You should of thanked him.

They're just after you PF!

Should have gotten out and looked when he stopped you,

Yep

If you're that sure, then file a complaint and make an appt to talk to the chief or sheriff and share your thoughts.

It does sound like he was fishing though.

What time of night was it ? What made the stop illegal? Many a drunk or felon been arrested during a traffic stop. Guy was just doing his job. Thousands of people who had loved ones killed by drunk drivers wish that driver had been pulled over “ illegally “ before tragedy happened. Sorry the 10 minutes out of your life cost you so much you will waste hours on here complaining about it.

Sorry this is a touchy subject for me.
Enjoy the rest of the comments

There must be probable cause to pull someone over, they can't just lie and say a light doesn't work to establish probable cause

So...you condone illegal stops cause maybe, just in case, you find a drunk?, seriously? What country you operating in?

In what world is a law enforcement supervisor or sheriff going to tell an underling to quit fishing????????? It was a quick stop and no judge or jury is going to do anything about it either. It's the world we live in. Unless you get pulled out of your vehicle, arrested beaten tazed shot or some egregious behavior or combination just go on. Its not going to stop.

P.S. Around here they "smell marijuana" or the "dog alerted". Start going through your vehicle. I do not see that stopping either.

Only needs to believe there was a violation. Since you have no fines to pay what’s the point.


Based on the SCOTUS and Indiana court of appeals the traffic stop was perfectly legal.

https://marclopezlaw.com/do-the-indiana-police-have-to-tell-me-why-they-stopped-me/amp/

Complaints can prove a pattern of abuse. You're right, a complaint will do nothing, a history of multiple complaints can add up though

Then it should be "hey I stopped you because I thought your liscense plate light was out, I see it is working, have a good day.

thats funny