By james art 
Knowing your rights is important, especially regarding potentially stressful interactions with Minnesota law enforcement. Surprisingly, there’s one question police in the North Star State are no longer allowed to ask, but many drivers have heard it before.
credit: Canva
“Do you know why I stopped you?”
It’s a phrase that countless drivers who have had the misfortune of being pulled over have heard for years. But that’s now a thing of the past, thanks to a new compromise negotiated by the Minnesota Police Chiefs Association (MCPA) and Communities United Against Police Brutality in Minneapolis.
According to the organization’s Michelle Gross (courtesy of FOX 9 Minneapolis), this issue could put Minnesota drivers in a tough spot:
We don’t want people making spontaneous confessions, and we don’t want law enforcement officers asking people questions except in a formal interrogation setting where they are Mirandized.
– Michelle Gross via the Fox 9 website
Starting June 8, 2024, police in Minnesota can no longer ask the question “Do you know why I pulled you over” during a routine traffic stop. Now they first have to tell the driver why they are stopped. However, some say this law is not formally binding because there are no real consequences if employees ask the question.
To learn more about this new law in the state of Minnesota, check out the article, along with a video from Fox 9 News Minneapolis.
Story sources: FOX 9 News Minneapolis website, Google Generative AI