Stop for inactive license plate results in misdemeanor
A traffic stop for an inactive license plate resulted in a Columbus man being charged with possession of marijuana, as well as driving without a license.
Nashville Police Officer William Pruitt stopped 36-year-old Patrick Doyle on State Road 46 East in January after Doyle’s vehicle left the Speedway gas station. Pruitt had run the vehicle’s plates and they matched a different vehicle; they were also inactive, according to a probable cause affidavit.
A passenger told Pruitt that they had bought the vehicle from a dealership in Columbus and had a bill of sale. Doyle admitted that he did not have a driver’s license. Police also discovered that Doyle had a warrant out of Florida, but that state would not extradite him.
Doyle was asked to exit the vehicle and was detained for safety purposes, the affidavit states.
At that time, Doyle told police he had marijuana on him. Police reported finding marijuana in a baggie inside a clear, hard shell container, along with a marijuana grinder.
Doyle was told to not drive the vehicle. He was issued a summons for possession of marijuana and for operating a motor vehicle without ever receiving a license. He was charged with two misdemeanors on March 27.
