On 10/16/19, the Ohio Supreme Court issued a decision in the case of State v Hawkins upholding the constitutionality of a police officer’s Terry vehicle stop based on the car’s color not matching vehicle-registration records.
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled 6-1 that the Officer had reasonable, articulable suspicion of criminal activity based on his experience that such a color discrepancy often meant that a vehicle was stolen.
The case originated in Washington Court House, it involved a black SUV with a license plate registered to a white SUV.
The Slip Opinion is available by clicking here.
