RI District Court and Traffic Tribunal Case Law

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John Ferri v. State of Rhode Island, A.A. No. 08-83 Reasonable Suspicion

Defendant appealed the decision of the Appeals Panel sustaining the violations of R.I.G.L. § 31-27-2.1 (refusal to submit to a chemical test), R.I.G.L. 1956 § 31-15-1 (right half of road), and R.I.G.L. 1956 § 31-17-6 (yielding to emergency vehicles). The Court held that where the defendant was driving erratically, crossed over the double yellow line, and crossed into the breakdown lane, reasonable suspicion to stop the defendant existed. Furthermore, the icy, slushy road conditions did not affect the reasonable suspicion for the initial stop. Accordingly, the Court affirmed the decision of the trial court sustaining the charge against the defendant.

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