Background
Anthony Dwayne Goshay was stopped after an officer observed him roll through a stop sign. During the stop, the officer saw cocaine rocks in a cup in Goshay’s cupholder. Goshay was convicted of possession of cocaine.
Goshay entered a dispositive motion to suppress, arguing that the traffic stop was unlawful. He contended that, although his vehicle stopped with about half of it past the stop line and stop sign, he had stopped “at” the line within the meaning of section 316.123(2)(a), Florida Statutes (2022).
The Court’s Holding
The Fourth District affirmed. Reviewing the suppression ruling under the applicable mixed standard, the court concluded that the undisputed video showed Goshay’s vehicle came to a complete stop clearly over the stop line, with the stop sign approximately at the vehicle’s midpoint.
The court rejected Goshay’s dictionary-based argument that “at” can mean “near.” Reading the statutory language in context, the court held that stopping “at” a marked stop line does not include stopping clearly beyond it. It declined to define the exact permissible boundary in closer cases, but held that Goshay’s plainly over-the-line stop violated the statute and gave the officer a lawful basis for the traffic stop. The court affirmed on Goshay’s remaining issues without discussion.
Key Takeaways
- A vehicle that stops clearly beyond a marked stop line has not stopped “at” the line under section 316.123(2)(a).
- Statutory text must be read in context; an isolated dictionary definition does not control when it produces an implausible reading.
- A stop-line violation supplied a lawful basis for the traffic stop, so suppression of the cocaine evidence was unwarranted.
Why It Matters
The decision confirms that Florida drivers must stop before proceeding clearly beyond a marked stop line. For suppression litigation, it provides Fourth District authority that an officer may lawfully stop a vehicle based on a plainly over-the-line stop, even if the vehicle ultimately comes to a complete stop near the sign or line.