Case
State v. R.L.; Case No. 562007MM005776 (St. Lucie County)
Arresting Agency
Fort Pierce Police Department
Result
Charges Dropped
Our client was driving on the north side of Fort Pierce, what the police like to call a “high crime are." Some police officers believe that they can do whatever they want to people as long as it’s in a high crime area. Here, the officer pulled my client over because he picked up, what the officer believed to be, a “woman of the night." The problem for the officer is that we go over every detail of every arrest with a fine-tooth comb. Although the officer’s hunch may have been a good one, a police officer’s mere suspicion is insufficient to conduct an investigatory stop of a citizen in Florida. The officer needed to articulate a reasonable suspicion of criminal activity based on facts. The defense filed and argued a Motion to Suppress the traffic stop in front of St. Lucie County Judge Phil Yacucci. The Motion to Suppress was granted and charges were dropped.