People v. Hernandez

Opinion

CORRIGAN, J.

An officer who sees a vehicle displaying a temporary operating permit in lieu of license plates may not stop the vehicle simply because he or she believes that such permits are often forged or otherwise invalid. To support a stop the officer must have a reasonable suspicion that the particular permit is invalid. Otherwise, any car with such a permit could be stopped without particularized cause.

I. FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Sheriff’s Deputy Anthony Paonessa saw defendant George Lee Hernandez driving a pickup truck with no license plates, but displaying a temporary…