Court Opinion

ID: 9555956
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-15 18:09:27.708769+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:34:14.094476
License: Public Domain

STATE OF LOUISIANA

STATE       OF    LOUISIANA                                                                         NO.    2023       KW    0495

VERSUS

APRIL       MARIE           FORD                                                                 AUGUST          14,       2023

In    Re:             April         Marie         Ford,     applying for supervisory writs,                                   21st

                      Judicial               District         Court,               Parish        of    Tangipahoa,             No.

                      2202280.

BEFORE:               McCLENDON,              HESTER,       AND       MILLER,            JJ.

        WRIT           GRANTED.              A    lawful      detention                  for    questioning            does    not

                                         the        officer      authority to                       conduct       a    pat -down
automatically                 give
for     weapons.              State          v.     Sims,     2002- 2208 ( La.                   6/ 27/ 03),          851    So. 2d

1039,       1043 (          emphasis          added). "           If a         police officer                   lawfully pats
down        a     suspect'          s    outer           clothing              and        feels       an        object       whose

contour           or    mass         makes         its    identity                 immediately            apparent,          there

has     been           no      invasion             of      the       suspect'            s     privacy          beyond       that

already           authorized                 by     the     officer'           s    search          for        weapons."       See
Minnesota              v.    Dickerson,              508      U. S.        366,          375- 76,         113    S. Ct.      2130,
2137,        124       L. Ed. 2d         334 (       1993);       State             v.    Temple,          2002- 1895 (        La.

9/ 9/ 03),            854     So. 2d         856.         Even        if       the       pat -down         was     justified,
none        of    the        evidence             indicates           that          the        item   inside          relator'      s

pocket            was          readily              identifiable                     by         its        NNplain          feel."

Accordingly,                  the        district             court'       s        ruling          denying           relator'      s

motion           to    suppress              is    reversed        and         this       matter          is    remanded       for
further          proceedings.

                                                                PMC
                                                                CHH

        Miller,               J.,        dissents.            Based            upon           the     district             court'   s

finding that the probation officers were acting in good faith,                                                                      I

would deny the writ.

 OURT       OF    APPEAL,            FIRST        CIRCUIT

                PUTY        CLERK       OF    COURT
                      FOR     THE       COURT