Legal Question in Criminal Law in Louisiana

Louisiana Reserve Deputies

I am trying to find out the rights of reserve deputies in Louisiana. In the parish I live in there is reserve deputies not in uniform and in personal vehichles making traffic stops writing tickets, and even responding to calls before a uniformed deputy arrives. I would like to know if this is legal. One of these deputies attempted to stop my wife last week at 10 at night. she called me and I told her to keep driving not to pull over for the pick up truck. When another deputy in a patrol car got behind her she stopped. they got her out of the car at gun point and arrested her for failure to stop, and towed my car. Grant it I work as a fireman and my wife runs a day care we are not dangerous people. I really need to know if any of this is legal. And yes I heard and recorded everything that was said I was still on the phone with my wife when she stopped and she just laid the phone down so I could listen and record everything that was going on.


Asked on 7/12/05, 4:56 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Nick Pizzolatto, Jr. Pizzolatto Law Office

Re: Louisiana Reserve Deputies

I am not an expert, but my appreciation is that you do not have to stop for unmarked cars or ununiformed officers if you have no reason to believe they are really cops. In my town just a couple weeks ago there was a guy who had an unmarked car with a blue dash bubble light and he even had a uniform that "looked" real, but the chief told the public not to stop for unmarked cars.

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Answered on 7/13/05, 6:27 am


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