Court Opinion

ID: 9891272
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-10-17 21:06:59.547574+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:50:02.675853
License: Public Domain

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             COURT OF APPEAL, FIRST CIRCUIT

STATE        OF    LOUISIANA                                                                      NO.       2023     KW     0813

VERSUS

JEREMY        D.    COOPER                                                                   OCTOBER              17,       2023

In    Re:           State        of     Louisiana,                applying             for       supervisory                writs,

                    20th         Judicial                District                Court,               Parish          of          East

                    Feliciana,           Nos.       23 - CR - 298/ 301/ 303/ 339.

BEFORE:             McCLENDON,           HESTER,           AND    MILLER,             JJ.

         WRIT        GRANTED.            At       the      time        the       defendant              was       stopped,          he

was suspected of being involved in the sale of illegal narcotics
at    his      residence.             Under        the      totality             of     the       circumstances,                   the

officers           had        reasonable           suspicion                to     effect             the     investigatory
                                                                           Terry v.          Ohio,          392     U. S.    1,     88
stop and to detain the defendant.
S. Ct.       1868,       20     L. Ed. 2d        889 (     1968) ;          State       v.       Kalie,           96- 2650 (       La.

9/ 19/ 97) ,         699      So. 2d     879,           881 (    per        curiam) .             See        also       State       v.

Bozeman,           2008- 1077 (          La.       App.          1st       Cir.        2/ 13/ 09),            6     So. 3d        899,

writ          denied,            2009- 0629 (               La.            11/ 25/ 09),               22          So. 3d          170.
Furthermore,               even    if       a   traffic          violation             has       not    been        committed,
an    officer                   stop     a      vehicle           for       investigatory                   purposes         if     he
                      may
has      a    reasonable              suspicion            of     criminal              activity.                   See     United

States        v.     Zavala,          541       F. 3d     562,     574 (         5th    Cir. 2008)                   Moreover,

the      initial           warrantless              search         of        the       vehicle              was     reasonable

under        the     plain       view        exception            to       the    search         warrant.               State       v.

Miguel,            2018- 0711 (          La.        1/ 30/ 19),              263        So. 3d          873,         874 (        per

curiam).              Accordingly,                 the          district           court'        s      ruling          granting
defendant' s             motion         to      suppress           is       reversed             and       this      matter    is

remanded           for    further        proceedings.

                                                                PMC
                                                                SMM

         Hester,          J.,     dissents and would deny the writ.

COURT        OF    APPEAL,        FIRST         CIRCUIT

         DEPUTY          CLERK     OF    COURT
                    FOR    THE     COURT