I got pulled over today in my turbo s2000 because of a modified exhaust in Arcadia ca today. The cop asked to pop my hood and I said no.* He call for back up had me sit on the curb.* Back up came and the searched my car poped my hood and looked in my trunk. I was giving a ticket for my exhaust and a ticket to see the state ref for my under the hood mods.* I then went to the Arcadia police station to file a compliant for illegal search. The watch comander spent some time will me and said they are legally about to "inspect" the car for illegal modifications if there is probably cause. Probable cause being I have a modified exhaust

Please help.* Is this legal?* Can I fight this?
I really don't want to spend 2 days of my life to put my car to stock/ drain the tank of e85 then take it to get inspected. Then put the damn turbo kit back on.
In 10+ years of driving moded turbo cars. This is the first time this has happened.

 

Unfortunately yes, probable cause means they can do whatever they want to you without a warrant. Another unfortunate circumstance for you is you live in california, the gayest most communist state in the country.

 

damn that sucks. i donno about the laws there, but here even with probable cause they still have to have permision to search the car if im not mistaken. i would look into that more if i were you.

california is gay (no pun intended) with all the stupid laws against moddifying cars, especially when most view cali as the import capital of the u.s.

 

From what I remember living in Cali, just pay the big tickett and be done with it?

 

Nazifornia, bow to your BAR/REF OVERLORDS.

 

Only with an attorney. Only thing you can say is that the search in the trunk was illegal. Look for the state Statute (State code) through google regarding searches based upon Engine modifications. I'm sure its there

 

^^^This guy speaks the truth. I also live in the San Gabriel Valley in California and have had a few state ref tickets in the past. The first one I got I was scared and put the car all back to stock and took it to the state ref three times before he signed off on the car. At the time I got that ticket three of my friends were also given state ref tickets since we were all attending a local hang out were police new modified cars were known to be. They simply went to the court(West Covina), paid the fine, and were done with it. I went through that huge headache for nothing.

The most recent state ref ticket I got was in Pasadena. That time the officer put a decal on the back of the ticket were you would normally get the ticket signed off. The decal said something like "This vehicle can not be driven on public roads. This citation can not be signed off. Vehicle must go to state ref."

I peeled off the decal, went to court, and just paid the fine. Don't stress about about it too much. Remember...traffic court is a court of revenue not a court of justice. In the end they just want your money and they will make it as easy as possible for you to hand it over. If you don't believe me just look at the ATM right next to the clerks window next time you have to go to traffic court.

 

Obviously it's not about justice anymore, it's about revenue! This is a Honda board but I sometimes wonder if any other cars such as Evo and STi owners get as much grief in Cali. Seems as if it's almost illegal to drive a Honda in Cali now.

 

having an attorney wont matter. The only reason to fight the 'illegal' search of the trunk is if they found evidence. That evidence would have to be thrown out of court because it was obtained without a search warrant.

AND, the exhaust does give them probable cause to search the car.

 

^ still man thats a violation of dudes rights for them to illegally search his car. whos to say they wouldnt plant something illegal on him impound the car and take his *** to jail and end up in alot of ****.

we wouldnt have rights if people didnt fight for them. if you dont fight for your rights or even know your rights you GIVE UP your rights.

i say fight the illegal search and try to get the cops in alot of ****. make them think twice about doing stupid **** and pulling over us honda guys for an exhaust

 

How much do these things cost?

 

^^ who cares?! your in Florida just like me. they will write you for an exhaust, but most of the time they dont.


no inpsections
no barring
no smogging
FTW!

 

If the exhaust is illegal what is there to fight? Let me break it down for you

1. Get pulled over for illegal exhaust
2. Cop thinks....hmmm...if his exhaust is illegal, there are probably more parts that are illegal on the car
3. Reasonable suspicion/probable cause
4. Search

/story.

Same thing with a search incident to arrest...but my guess is you think that’s a violation of your rights also.


Ricers could benefit from a couple criminal justice classes.

 

California Vehicle Code, Sec. 2804. Inspection by Patrol Members
A member of the California Highway Patrol upon reasonable belief that any vehicle is being operated in violation of any provisions of this code or is in such unsafe condition as to endanger any person, may require the driver of the vehicle to stop and submit to an inspection of the vehicle, and its equipment, license plates, and registration card.

California Vehicle Code, Sec. 2806. Vehicle and Equipment Inspection
Any regularly employed and salaried police officer or deputy sheriff, or any reserve police officer or reserve deputy sheriff listed in Section 830.6 of the Penal Code, having reasonable cause to believe that any vehicle or combination of vehicles is not equipped as required by this code or is in any unsafe condition as to endanger any person, may require the driver to stop and submit the vehicle or combination of vehicles to an inspection and those tests as may be appropriate to determine the safety to persons and compliance with the code.


it is an inspection, It is not a search so no search warrant is required

those are the vehicle code sections which allow cali officer to inspect your engine, if they believe it may have been modified. For example an AEM plate frame sometimes is enough. Gigantic Tacs with shift lights are great, so are modded exhaust, colorful rear strut bars, racing stickers, carbon fiber hood, bucket seats with 5 point racing harnesses, removed rear seat and passenger seat, etc also get a auto inspection. Get my point?

Refuse? Go right ahead, you'll be in the back of his car and before the tow truck arrives to tow your car, he'll have inspected under your hood anyway and he will have rummaged through your passenger compartment and trunk for your vehicle inventory. Any modded smog related device without the correct CARB sticker will be found. Even if there isn't anything modded, you still get a trip. Point is, don't be one of those ignorant racers who becomes an internet racing forum lawyer on the side of the street with them. You will lose.

 

Just curious they were making it sound expensive, and I would like to know how much they cost?

 

i hope this is not direct towards me.

 

same thing happened to me. I had a "stock muffler" on my rhd crx. They asked to pop my hood and I said no. THey tried to trick me with the "if you don't I will tow your car". I said tow it than.

They then handcuffed me and begin searching anyways. I went to court to fight it with a lawyer. I lost because the judge didn't believe they handcuffed me and searched my car without consent. I even brought pictures of the car and the stock muffler. In the end I ended up paying around 6K for the lawyer and court fees.

But as far as ref tickets. Pshh. I just pay dem bishes. I've done it twice already.

 

it was only to inform the OP, not directed towards anyone else, sorry if it sounded like that.

 

you lost because you werent searched! it was inspected! one lil word can make a world of differance.. if they say they are inspecting they have all the right by law to. now if they are trying to catch you riding dirty that is a diffrent story. They are allowed to handcuff you and sit you on the curb or in there car it is called being detained. dosent mean you did anything wrong, its for the saftey of the officer while they conduct the inspection or search, in these cases "inspected". it dosent take a genius to read and understand these laws

 

...

 

This is exactly glad I live in North Carolina. We might have annual inspections, but I have always passed with very many modifications done to my car.

 

Open header K24/K20 loud as can be and driving right past cops in Montana FTW. Actually, correction - we welded a 16" race muffler to it with a 90* turn down.

But Coming from WA I keep thinking I am going to get pulled over for it when I take my car out, but not once has an officer even looked twice.

FWIW - I'd have put exhaust on the car, but its coming apart next month to start the turbo build, so there's no point.

My advice is if you can pay the ticket and not have the car inspected, somehow just do that.

 

no one has asked what he got pulled over for in the first place?

 

why should we ask when he said it in the first sentance...

"I got pulled over today in my turbo s2000 because of a modified exhaust"

 

modify exhaust in CA is the number 1 reason why u get pulled over and get your hood poped. I knew this the hard way and had to pay 400 sumthing bucks.