Robinson v. State (Majority, with Concurring and Dissenting)
Annotate this CaseA police officer stopped Defendant for driving with a defective passenger taillight. The officer subsequently arrested Defendant and charged him with driving while intoxicated (DWI), among other offenses. Defendant filed a motion to suppress, arguing that there was no probable cause for the initial traffic stop. The circuit court denied the motion, concluding that there was reasonable cause for the traffic stop. After a jury trial, Defendant was convicted of refusal to submit to a chemical test but was acquitted of the DWI charge. Defendant appealed the denial of his motion to suppress, arguing that because there is no Arkansas statute prohibiting a cracked taillight, the officer did not have probable cause to stop his vehicle. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding (1) the fact that Defendant’s taillight was visibly broken was sufficient probable cause to believe that he may have committed a traffic violation; and (2) therefore, the circuit court correctly concluded that there was probable cause for the officer to stop Defendant.
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