It is not uncommon for a seemingly routine traffic stop to lead to lead to much more serious charges than a traffic ticket. Police officers will look for any reason to expand the traffic stop beyond the simple issuing of a ticket if they have a hunch that they may be able to attach additional, more serious charges. Police often cite reasons such as odors, or the disposition of the driver as a reason to go beyond a speeding ticket.

In an incident earlier this week a Nevada State Trooper said that the nervousness of the driver and the occupants of the car led him to investigate further. This led to drug and weapons charges for the driver.

According to a local new report, the trooper claimed that he witnessed a car travelling 70 miles-per-hour in 55 mile-per-hour zone. He pulled the car over and indicated that he immediately noticed that the windows of the car were extremely tinted. The trooper was apparently trained in detecting signs of narcotics transportation.

The trooper also said that the driver appeared and passengers of the car appeared to be to be excessively nervous. The trooper had the driver exit the car for further questioning and conducted a pat-down of the driver. The trooper claimed to have found a handgun on the driver's person. The driver was then arrested because he did not have a concealed carry permit for the weapon. Law enforcement officials claim that the driver also admitted to possessing a small amount of marijuana in the car.

Challenging the manner in which a police search is conducted and the pretense for the search are often the best opportunities to suppress evidence in a criminal case. If the search was not legal the evidence may be kept out of the criminal trial.

Source: MyFoxReno.com, "Man arrested for gun, drug possession," Feb. 20, 2012