Opinion ID: 1542303
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Comments on Dissent

Text: The dissent notes that the Superior Court identified four possible factors to support the motor vehicle stop. The dissent agrees with the majority's conclusion that three of those factors do not support a stop. The dissent concludes, nevertheless, that the motor vehicle stop was justified by the state trooper's mistaken belief that the vehicle was not properly registered. The record, however, reflects that Officer Hake never testified that he stopped the vehicle on the basis of that admittedly mistaken belief about the car's registration. Officer Hake's contemporaneous affidavit states that he stopped the motor vehicle for the alleged turn signal violation. The dissent suggests the only reason for the stop that was given by Officer Hake in the affidavit was incomplete. The dissent disregards the fact that the alleged turn signal violation was also the only basis for the motor vehicle stop that Officer Hake gave at the suppression hearing. Officer Hake testified he pulled out, activated my emergency equipment, and stopped the vehicle after there was no turn signal on when the car made a right turn onto Irish Hill Road. The doctrine of deference on appeal to a finding of historical fact (invalid registration) has no application when that additional factual finding is not supported by and is inconsistent with the sole fact (turn signal violation) identified by Officer Hake in his candid testimony at the suppression hearing and contemporaneous affidavit. Irrespective of what else was known to Officer Hake, the record reflects that Officer Hake only stopped the motor vehicle for one reason: an alleged turn signal violation. The dissent acknowledges that if the non-existent turn signal violation was the basis for the motor vehicle stop, then McDonald's Fourth Amendment rights were violated.