Whether Trooper Colton Derrick unreasonably extended a traffic stop by focusing on a narcotics investigation without reasonable suspicion or probable cause

No question identified. : QUESTION PR ESENTED Whether Trooper Col ton Derri ck unreasonabl y extended Mr. Mi chael J. Bani el’s traffi c stop, that was preceded by and subjugated to a narcoti cs investi gation, in violation of the duty of a reasonabl e offi cer to “di ligentl y pursue[] a means of i nvesti gation that was l ikely to confi rm or dispel thei r suspi cions qui ckly.” United States v. Sharpe , 470 U .S. 675, 686, 105 S. Ct. 1568, 1575, 84 L. Ed. 2d 605, 615-616 (1985) (emphasi s added)? As set forth herei n, Trooper Derri ck unreasonabl y extended Mr. Bani el’s roadsi de detenti on by focusi ng on a narcoti cs-rel ated i nvesti gation. He di d so instead of tryi ng to compl ete a traffi c investi gation in a reasonabl e manner. Thi s detenti on, for the sol e purpose of conducti ng a cri minal investi gation, was wi thout reasonabl e suspi cion or probabl e cause. Trooper Derri ck must be hel d accountabl e for fai ling to consi der evi dence that wei ghed agai nst hi s unwaveri ng efforts to bui ld “reasonabl e suspi cion.” Otherwi se, the “or di spel” language wi ll be al l but read out of Sharpe . Until this Court addresses thi s issue, ci tizens wi ll be subject to warrantl ess searches duri ng roving narcoti cs investi gations that are di sguised as traffi c stops. Thi s Court shoul d grant a wri t of certi orari , correct thi s error, and provi de gui dance for a situati on likely to recur and to further weaken the Fourth Amendment absent action by thi s Court. -i LIST OF PAR TIES All parti es do not appear i n the capti on of the case on the cover page. A l ist of all parti es to the proceedi ng in the court whose judgment i s the subject of thi s petition is as fol lows: AUSA Robert Frank Moody United States Attorney’s Offi ce Western Di strict of Loui siana 300 Fanni n Street Suite 3201 Shreveport, Loui siana 71101 (for the U nited States), and AUSA T. Forrest Phi llips and AUSA Cami lle Ann Domi ngue United States Attorney’s Offi ce Western Di strict of Loui siana 800 Lafayette Street, Sui te 2200 Lafayette LA 70501-6865 (for the U nited States). RELATED CASES 1. United States v. Baniel , United States Di strict Court, Western Di strict of Loui siana; 2023 U .S. Di st. LEXIS 73181, 2023 WL 3089153 (W.D. La. Feb. 2, 2023) (report and recommendati on), adopted by U nited States v. Baniel , 2023 U .S. Di st. LEXIS 72358, 2023 WL 3085463 (W.D. La. Apr. 25, 2023) 2. United States v. Baniel , 2024 U .S. App. LEXIS 28203, 2024 WL 4689055 (5th Ci r. Nov. 6, 2024) -ii