Last Updated on June 9, 2025 by Beltz Law Group
Was Your Traffic Stop in Addison Legal? Understanding the Burden of Proof and Your Defense
Addison Ticket Defense Lawyer
Receiving a traffic ticket in Addison, Texas, often begins with a police officer initiating a traffic stop. But was that stop itself legal? Understanding the legal standards that govern a police officer’s authority to stop a vehicle is a critical first step in defending your traffic ticket in Addison Municipal Court.
At Beltz Law Group, our experienced defense attorneys in Addison meticulously examine the circumstances of every traffic stop. If you would like to discuss your case and have our legal team evaluate the legality of your traffic stop in Addison, feel free to contact our office today at 214-321-4105.
The Two Legal Standards for a Traffic Stop
In Texas, a police officer generally needs one of two legal standards to justify stopping a vehicle: reasonable suspicion or probable cause. Our attorneys are trained to scrutinize which standard the officer claimed to meet and whether the facts actually support it.
1. Reasonable Suspicion: More Than a Hunch
Reasonable suspicion is the lower of the two legal standards for a stop, but it’s still more than just a gut feeling or “hunch.” As stated in cases like Wood v. State, reasonable suspicion exists when an officer has a reasonable belief, based on objective facts, that the person is or has been involved in some type of criminal activity.
For a traffic stop to be justified under reasonable suspicion, courts generally look for:
- Some activity out of the ordinary: The officer must be able to articulate why they believed something unusual or potentially illegal was happening.
- Connection to the suspect: The driver or vehicle detained must be linked to that suspicious activity.
- Suspicion related to a crime: The suspicious activity must be related to a criminal offense that the officer believes has occurred or is about to occur.
Addison Ticket Lawyer
Key factors our attorneys consider when contesting reasonable suspicion:
- No Actual Unlawfulness Required (for the stop itself): The suspect’s conduct doesn’t have to be definitively unlawful at the moment of the stop; the officer just needs a reasonable suspicion that it is unlawful.
- Facts at Time of Stop: The officer’s suspicion must be based on facts they knew at the time of the stop, not on information they learned afterward. Post-stop discoveries cannot retroactively justify an illegal stop.
- Totality of Information: Courts will consider all the objective facts and circumstances known to the officer in determining if their actions were reasonable.
- Objective Facts for Criminal Activity: The officer’s suspicion must be based on objective, articulable facts that suggest the individual is involved in criminal activity.
This standard can be challenging for traffic stops. For example, simply seeing a vehicle and wondering if the driver is breaking the law (e.g., “I wonder if that person has their seat belt on?”) is generally not enough to establish reasonable suspicion for a stop. There must be some observable, objective fact that leads to the reasonable belief that a traffic violation or other crime is occurring.
2. Probable Cause: When a Traffic Law is Broken
The most common and robust justification for a traffic stop is probable cause. This exists when an officer has a reasonable belief, based on facts and circumstances, that a traffic law has actually been broken in their view. In Texas, Chapter 543 of the Transportation Code broadly allows an officer to arrest a driver who violates the “rules of the road” if they have probable cause.
There are specific statutory exceptions where an officer cannot immediately arrest for a traffic violation, such as most speeding tickets (where the driver usually signs a promise to appear) and open container violations. However, even if an arrest isn’t made, the observation of a traffic offense provides the probable cause for the initial stop.
Addison Traffic Stop Scrutiny by Beltz Law Group:
Our Addison traffic ticket lawyers meticulously examine the officer’s probable cause. While an officer’s belief that an offense occurred is sufficient for the stop, we investigate whether that belief was genuinely based on objective observations. For example, if an officer claims probable cause for speeding, we would look into the method of speed detection, calibration records, and the officer’s training.
It’s important to note that once a legal stop is made (based on either reasonable suspicion or probable cause), an officer is generally allowed to conduct a driver’s license check of the motorist, as long as it does not unduly prolong the detention.
Defending Your Stop in Addison Municipal Court
The legality of your traffic stop is often the first line of defense against an Addison traffic ticket. If we can successfully argue that the initial stop was not justified by reasonable suspicion or probable cause, any evidence gathered thereafter may be inadmissible, potentially leading to a dismissal of your case.
Don’t assume your traffic stop was legal just because a ticket was issued. If you would like to discuss your traffic ticket stop in Addison or have our legal team evaluate your entire case, contact Beltz Law Group today. We are here to provide experienced legal guidance and fight for your rights.
