Supreme Court Decision on Michigan License Plates
A decision by the Michigan Supreme Court could affect drivers all over the state, due to a recent ruling on license plates. But according to the high court, how drivers are affected is entirely in their own hands.
In a unanimous decision, the Court ruled that the Michigan Vehicle Code clearly states that motorists must locate their license plates on their vehicles in such a way that the information on that plate is in no way obstructed.
Which means that if anything else on your car is in any way impeding an officer’s view of your license plate, it can be a valid reason for pulling you over and giving you a ticket. That applies to bicycle racks, trailer hitches, and any other items or objects that may get in the way of a police officer reading the numbers and letters on your license plate.
This ruling overturned a Michigan appellate decision, where the Court of Appeals suppressed evidence in a case where police had pulled over a truck with an obscured license plate. Apparently deputies were unable to determine whether the plate read “CHS 6818” or “CHS 5818.” In the case of the latter number, the plate would have been registered to a completely different car.
After the truck was pulled over, the deputies were able to determine that the plate was in fact the correct one for the vehicle. But by then they could smell marijuana. Which gave them a legal reason to search the truck. The resulting search and seizure that brought to light an illegal gun and drugs inside the vehicle were later ruled as “fruit of the poisoned tree”, and thrown out of court.
But the Michigan Supreme Court determined that the police were justified in pulling the truck over to begin with, as the license plate wasn’t readable by officers traveling behind the truck. And that’s why the Michigan Court of Appeals decision was struck down.
In the ruling, the Michigan Supreme Court Justices stated that they were “cognizant that Michganders’ vehicles commonly have items such as trailer hitches and bicycle racks attached to them.” However, they went on to say that this fact means that motorists should realize that “common conduct may lead to what some might consider harsh consequences.”