Court Opinion

ID: 9950782
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2024-03-14 19:08:09.109276+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:36:42.613484
License: Public Domain

STATE       OF   LOUISIANA                                                                          NO.      2023     KW        1024

VERSUS

MARSHAWN         MCCRADY                                                                           MARCH            14,     2024

In    Re:           Marshawn McCrady,                       applying             for       supervisory writs,                     18th
                    Judicial         District               Court,           Parish         of     Pointe           Coupee,        No.
                    CR - 85071- F.

BEFORE:             WELCH,      WOLFE,          AND        STROMBERG              JJ.

            WRIT     DENIED.

                                                                 W
           Welch,       J.     dissents             and      would          grant          the     writ        application.

The        evidence          adduced                       the                                                       failed
                                                   at                 suppression                  hearing                             to
establish           that       relator             violated            La.        R. S.         32: 71.        There        was        no

showing that relator impeded traffic traveling behind him in the
left        lane,       that        he       was
                                                        traveling            at       a    speed          slower          than     any
vehicles           in    the     right          lane,            or    that        he                                             less
                                                                                            was
                                                                                                    traveling              at

than the          normal        speed of            the      traffic             at       that    time.   See             La.     R. S.
32: 71( B).         Therefore,                 the         officer' s            decision           to                relator'          s
                                                                                                             stop
vehicle          was    not     reasonable                 under           the                                       Cf.
                                                                                  circumstances.                                Whren
v.    United        States,          517       U. S.        806,       810,        116      S. Ct.          1769,     1772,        135
L. Ed. 2d        89 (    1996).                Pursuant               to    La.        R. S.       32: 71,                 vehicle
                                                                                                                   any
could       be     stopped          that       is         proceeding             in       the    left- hand          lane        on     a
four        lane        highway              based         upon        a     police             officer'       s     subjective
determination                that        the        vehicle            had        remained             in     the     left- hand
lane "       too       long."            I    believe            this         interpretation                   gives        police
 carte        blanche"          discretion                  to                                                              in
                                                                   stop          any      vehicle           driving                the
left- hand          lane       of    a        four        lane        highway             and     is      constitutionally
wrong.

      RT    OF APPEAL,          FIRST          CIRCUIT

                                                     13

             PUTY CLERK OF COURT
                   FOR    THE       COURT