Officer Mistake Excused by Appeals Court

It was a case of mistaken identity…but an officer still had a good reason to stop a western Wisconsin driver for a possible traffic violation.  That ruling comes from a Wisconsin appeals court, denying the appeal by Nathan Teasdale of Grant County.  Teasdale was convicted of driving after his license was revoked.  The arresting officer stopped Teasdale’s car because he didn’t think the license plate was on the right vehicle.  The cop made a mistake, and Teasdale said evidence in the case should be suppressed because of the error.  But the appeals judges ruled that the officer had a reasonable suspicion that the car might be stolen, even if he was later proved wrong.