Reasonable Suspicion (DWI)

REASONABLE SUSPICION TO STOP A VEHICLE

If you are charged with DWI in North Carolina, one of the way your criminal defense attorney can defend you is by challenging reasonable suspicion.

In North Carolina, In order to stop a driver, police must have reasonable suspicion that crime is afoot (happening). If an officer has reasonable suspicion that a driver is driving while impaired or committing another crime, such as speeding, that officer can stop the vehicle to investigate.

The following are examples of valid reasons that an officer may stop a vehicle:

• Speeding
• Failure to wear a seat belt
• Failure to stop at a stop sign
• Not signaling
• Reckless driving
• Expired tags
• Texting while driving
• Driving while impaired

If your criminal defense attorney can show that you should not have been stopped to begin with, the subsequent evidence that the police gathered against you may not be admissible. If you have been charged with DWI you should contact a criminal defense attorney right away.