Do cracked and obstructed mean the same thing? It sounds like I'm splitting hairs, but these small details matter.
I don't know if a cracked plate (and I still haven't quite figured out how you crack a license plate
) could be considered an obstructed plate. I only know that the law lists some examples of what could be considered "obstructed" and I suppose it is possible a cracked plate could be something that falls within the law.
You are right that small details can matter. That is why if someone is intent on fighting a ticket, they should have the details reviewed by an attorney who knows what details could get a ticket tossed.
I believe most police officers are not going to waste their time or, more importantly, risk their careers by making bad stops and conducting illegal searches. But I am not so young or so naïve as to believe that both bad stops and illegal searches do not happen. They do. Whether this happened in Bvjt's case requires a personal review of all facts more than forum opinions based on partial facts expressed in short posts, though.
edit to add: It appears we were thinking along the same lines, Carl.