As you well know, ignorance of the law is no excuse. According to the U.S. Supreme Court, the exception is if you are a police officer. In the recent case of Helen vs. North Carolina, a police officer stopped a car because it had one burnt out taillight. However, under North Carolina law it is not illegal to have one burnt out taillight, only two. The stop led to the discovery of cocaine. The Court held that reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed can rest on a mistaken interpretation of the law and held that the stop was legal. The Court said, however, that these cases will be extremely rare as the mistake has to be objectively reasonable. If you have a search and seizure issue or have been arrested for drugs, call Drug Crimes Attorney, David Paul Foos at 916-779-3500, or reach me by email at David@foosgavinlaw.com.
