![]() In a recent decision, the Court of Special Appeals of Maryland held that this rule will be applicable to drivers regardless of where their car is registered.7 A Virginia driver was pulled over in Prince George’s County based on his darkly tinted windows.8 His car’s windows were in accordance with Virginia law, where his vehicle was registered.9 His vehicle was subsequently searched, and over 700 grams of marijuana discovered.10 The Defendant argued that the evidence should be suppressed, as his car was not registered in Maryland, and Md. ![]() The United States Constitution protects citizens against “unreasonable search and seizures.”1 When conducting a traffic stop, a police officer must have “reasonable articulable suspicion,” that a motor vehicle violation has occurred.2 This standard is less strict than the commonly known “probable cause,” primarily to balance individual privacy interests with the government’s interest in protecting police officers during traffic stops.3 In the state of Maryland, motor vehicle windows may be tinted, provided they allow at least 35 percent light transmittance and there is a sticker stating the percentage of tinting permanently attached to the window.4 In 2011, the Court of Appeals of Maryland determined that when an officer had training and experience in recognizing legally tinted windows, and was unable to see the inhabitants of a car on a sunny morning, he had reasonable suspicion sufficient to support a traffic stop.5 However, the court was clear that the observation must be in the context of what a properly tinted window would look like, and the officer must be able to credibly articulate the difference between the two.6 ![]()
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