YPSILANTI (AP) - Bright lights - long prison stay.
Police had probable cause to pull over a man who was driving in Ypsilanti with his high beams on, a stop that led to the discovery of cocaine, an outstanding arrest warrant - and ultimately a 10-year prison sentence, an appeals court said last Thursday.
Damario Tubbs-Smith wanted the evidence suppressed. He argued that the stop wasn't necessary because it was reasonable to drive in that area with bright lights. But the appeals court noted that Tubbs-Smith passed several oncoming cars before he was stopped.
He still had his high beams on when a sheriff's deputy approached the vehicle.
Michigan law says drivers must ensure that their headlights do not cast "glaring rays" in the eyes of oncoming drivers within 500 feet, the federal court said.
The officer had "sufficient reason" to stop Tubbs-Smith, the court said.
Published: Mon, Jan 27, 2020
