Opinion ID: 6501024
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Reasonable Suspicion of a Traffic Violation

Text: ¶ 44. The State argues that defendant committed traffic violations by (1) entering through the Cumberland Farms exit-only route, (2) failing to activate his turn signal at the intersection of Western Avenue and the interstate access road, (3) failing to stay in his lane while turning onto the access road, and (4) veering into another lane while traveling on the interstate. However, the trial court noted that Officer LeClair confirmed during the State’s questioning that he observed defendant committing only two traffic violations: failing to keep to the right and failing to signal. Officer LeClair further answered “Yes” to the State’s leading question, after listing the above two infractions and his other observations of allegedly impaired driving, that “none of these things in and of themselves, so far, are reason for a stop, but it’s the culmination of those things” that led to him pulling over the car. Officer LeClair’s testimony that no single infraction created justification 18 for a stop is inconsistent with the State’s arguments in its brief that each individual alleged violation was sufficient. ¶ 45. In reviewing the record, I would not hold that any alleged infraction sufficient to create objectively reasonable suspicion. However, an in-depth analysis of each alleged infraction is not necessary here because the majority reverses solely on the totality of the circumstances analysis. Accordingly, I turn to consider whether the totality of the circumstances supported reasonable suspicion of impaired driving and conclude that it did not.