April 11th, 2017

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Opinions
United States v. Henry

Docket: 16-30731
Opinion Date: April 10, 2017
Judge: Jerry E. Smith
Areas of Law: Criminal Law

Defendant was convicted of possession of a firearm by a felon and possession of marijuana. On appeal, defendant challenged the district court's denial of his motion to suppress. In this case, officers believed that defendant's obstructed registration sticker violated Louisiana Statutes Annotated 32:53(A)(3). The court explained that it need not determine the proper interpretation of Section 32:53, because Louisiana caselaw establishes that the officers' interpretation, even if mistaken, was objectively reasonable. Therefore, the court concluded that the officers had reasonable suspicion to justify the traffic stop. The court affirmed the judgment.