Opinion ID: 1192229
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Probable Cause to Stop the Automobile

Text: On a motion to suppress evidence, this Court reviews a district court's legal conclusions, including determinations of probable cause and reasonable suspicion, de novo and the district court's factual findings for clear error. United States v. Thompson, 496 F.3d 807, 809 (7th Cir. 2007). Defendant-appellant argues that the initial stop was illegal because the statute giving rise to the traffic violation does not make sense. Kenerson claims that because the defendant came to a full and complete stop, there was no traffic at the intersection, and a hypothetical driver who decided that he wanted to turn right only after stopping could not comply with relevant provision no matter how hard he tried, the code yields an absurd result and cannot provide a lawful basis for a Terry stop. See Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 88 S.Ct. 1868, 20 L.Ed.2d 889 (1968). Kenerson does not cite any cases supporting the novel proposition that subjective inconvenience negates the binding power of valid laws. Kenerson also acknowledges that under Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806, 116 S.Ct. 1769, 135 L.Ed.2d 89 (1996), an officer can carry out a traffic stop when given adequate legal and objective authorization regardless of the officer's subjective intent. See also United States v. Trigg, 878 F.2d 1037, 1040-41 (7th Cir.1989). Accordingly, we affirm the district court's finding that a violation of the relevant provision of the Illinois Motor Vehicle Code, routine and safe though it might have been, gave Officer Williams probable cause to stop the Plymouth Acclaim. See United States v. Williams, 106 F.3d 1362, 1365 (7th Cir. 1997) (police were authorized to stop vehicle for untimely turn signal despite the minor nature of offense).