Cullum v. State (Unpublished Memo): DWI conviction appealed on grounds that the officer had no reason to make a stop in the first place. In a lack of situational awareness, Cullum peeled out of a Longview intersection at 11:30 p.m., squealing his tires for three seconds. The officer (whose testimony was unrefuted) was back in traffic at the intersection. He didn’t have a clear look at the car, but he could hear it just fine. The officer believed that the Ford Mustang was fast out of the gate on purpose. Apparently, there’s a law against that. “Improper start from a parked position.” Tex. Trans. Code Section 545.402. The officer tracked Cullum down. Once the officer had Cullum pulled over, he discovered that Cullum was DWI. The Tyler court affirmed. They probably would have affirmed even if Cullum had been driving a tan 1999 Camry. OK, no they wouldn’t have. I used to drive one, Ed-style. You can’t squeal the tires.
