In People v. Dunbar, No. 150371, the Michigan Supreme Court granted mini-oral argument to consider whether to grant leave to appeal on the issue of whether the obstruction of a license plate with a towing ball violates MCL 257.225(2), therefore allowing officers to conduct a traffic stop. The defendant was convicted of drug violations after a search of his vehicle after a traffic stop revealed contraband. The officers conducted the stop because the vehicle’s license plate was partially obstructed with the vehicle’s towing ball. MCL 257.225(2) provides that “[t]he [license] plate shall be maintained free from foreign materials that obscure or partially obscure the registration information and in a clearly legible condition.” The Court of Appeals held, over a dissent, that the stop was unconstitutional, as the presence of a towing ball did not violate the statute, particularly because thousands of Michigan vehicles are equipped with towing balls.
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