Smith's Criminal Case Compendium
Table of Contents
Criminal Procedure
Indictment & Pleading Issues
Evidence
Criminal Offenses
Drug Offenses
State v. Ford, 208 N.C. App. 699 (Dec. 21, 2010)
Citing Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806, 813 (1996), the court rejected the defendant’s argument that a stop for an alleged violation of G.S. 20-129(d) (motor vehicle’s rear plate must be lit so that it can be read from a distance of 50 feet) was pretextual. Under Whren, the reasonableness of a traffic stop does not depend on the actual motivations of the individual officers involved.