Officer Johnson was investigating a traffic accident and not…

Officer Johnson was investigating a traffic accident and noticed an orange/black motorcycle involved in the accident that looked like a bike that had been reported to be stolen. He discovered photos of the suspect on Facebook, obtained his address, and drove to the suspect’s residence. Officer Johnson noticed a cycle under a tarp parked in the driveway and then entered the property, lifted the tarp, and confirmed from a license plate check and VIN number that this was the stolen cycle. The suspect was arrested for theft.   The attorney for the suspect argues that this was an illegal search. Is he likely to prevail?

A local K-9 police officer saw a vehicle drive onto a highwa…

A local K-9 police officer saw a vehicle drive onto a highway shoulder in violation of the state law, so he pulled the vehicle over at 12:06 am. The officer questioned the driver about his conduct, obtained his license and registration, asked a passenger for his license, and asked them both about the nature and purpose of their travels. The officer then ran a police record check on them. The officer then issued a warning citation to the driver and returned the documents to the two men. The officer then asked for permission to walk his dog around the car and was denied permission. About 7 or 8 minutes after the warning had been issued at 12:45 pm, another officer arrived and led his dog around the vehicle. The dog alerted and the two men were arrested.  Was this a valid traffic stop?

An officer stopped a car for a traffic violation and when th…

An officer stopped a car for a traffic violation and when the driver lowered the driver’s side window the officer reached into the car and moved some papers away that were covering the VIN number of the car. The officer checked the VIN number on his computer and learned that the vehicle was stolen. The driver was arrested. Was the police officer’s action a search?