Expert: Jack Toomey - 6/2/2007

Question
Heres my story....I was pulling out of a Burger King Parking lot and making a left onto a highway.  Almost as soon as I completed the left turn two cop cars pulled up behind me and pulled me over.  The police officer told me he pulled me over for failure to signal, but never gave me a ticket for it.  I was ticketed for driving under suspension.  Might I have a case of entrapment?  I feel as if for some reason these two police officers were waiting on me.  Why does it take two to pull someone over for failure to signal?  I had to ask him why he pulled me over and my rights were never read to me.  Do I have a case here?  I was out of town going to see my baby since I don't get to see him much.  Which I know doesn't matter.  I have a pretrial conference next Wednesday and I'm just trying to get as much info as possible.  As of right now he doesn't have a reason for why he pulled me over, because I never got a ticket for it, unless he has it on video.  

Answer
The legal defense of entrapment is used when a police officer encourages someone to commit a crime that they normally would not think of committing.  Obviously this is not the case in your situation.  

There is no need for a police officer to read you your rights.  You probably got that idea from tv or the movies.  The only time that an officer is required to read a defendant his "rights" is when the police are going to question the defendant and then use the statement of confession at the trial.  

I can't tell you why two police officers pulled you over.  I wasn't there and don't know the officers.  What you really need to worry about and seem to brushing off is your driving on a suspended license which could get you a ticket to the county jail.  I hope that you are retained an attorney by now.