A federal appeals court has upheld the right for Escondido law enforcement to posses the cars of unlicensed drivers for 30 days, reports NBC San Diego media partner North County Times.
The decision means unlicensed motorists should not be surprised, if police stop them, to see their cars towed away and held for a month, regardless of whether the stop is for a routine traffic violation or at one of Escondido's controversial traffic safety checkpoints.
Civil rights attorneys filed the lawsuit in Mar. 2007, arguing that California's mandatory 30-day impound law was unconstitutional becaise it violated drivers' rights to due process and protection from unreasonable search and seizure.
Read more about the lawsuit and reaction to the ruling at The North County Times.
