DUI Case Dismissed After Illegal Traffic Stop

In a recent DUI case, the court agreed that the traffic stop was illegal—and as a result, all the evidence was thrown out and court dismissed the case.

The officer initially pulled over another vehicle for speeding. My client, who wasn’t doing anything wrong, pulled over too—perhaps out of caution or confusion. Instead of focusing on the original driver, the officer approached my client’s vehicle and claimed their decision to stop was “suspicious.” The officer also claimed that my client stopped in the lane of traffic.

But there was no bad driving. No traffic violation. And my client had pulled over on the shoulder. Nothing that justified a stop under the law. We filed a motion to suppress the evidence, arguing that the stop was illegal. The court reviewed the testimony and body cam footage and agreed: the officer’s observations didn’t hold up.

Because the stop violated my client’s constitutional rights, the court suppressed everything that came after—including field sobriety tests and breath results. With no admissible evidence remaining, the court dismissed the case.

This outcome reinforces an important point: police need a valid reason to stop someone. Simply finding someone’s behavior “unusual” isn’t enough. If your rights are violated, there are legal remedies—and those remedies can change the outcome of your case.

Every DUI case is different. But a close review of the stop—and strong motion work—can make all the difference.