POST Rules and Certification
Not publishedof exam
Constitutional Law and Force
Not publishedof exam
Louisiana Criminal Law
Not publishedof exam
Arrest and Court Procedure
Not publishedof exam
Patrol, Traffic, Impaired Driving
Not publishedof exam
Investigations and Field Response
Not publishedof exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- LA POST Level 1
- Body
- LCLE POST Council
- Format
- Written; oral testing prohibited
- Time
- 90 minutes
- Pass
- 70% exam, 70% each block
- Firearms
- 80% qualification
- Questions
- Count not published
- Academy
- 496 hours minimum
- Retest
- One; 15-30 working days
- Rule cite
- LAC 22:III.4703
Passing Gates
70 exam / 70 blocks / 80 firearms
70%: statewide exam70%: every block80%: firearms qualificationMiss one, no certification
Exam Score vs Block Score
Statewide exam
- 70% to pass
- 90-minute written test
- One retest possible
Instructional blocks
- 70% on each block
- One failure blocks certification
- Exam cannot offset
Separate independent gates
Certification Levels
- Level 1
- Basic law enforcement officer
- Level 1 hours
- 496 minimumPOST Council
- Level 2
- Basic correctional peace officer
- Level 2 hours
- 249 minimum
- Level 3
- No firearms certification required
- Statutory floor
- 400-hour core curriculumR.S. 40:2404.2
- Full-time officer
- Certify within one year
- Part-time or reserve
- Certify within three years
- No challenge
- Training before testing
In-Service 8-4-2-6
Firearms 8, survival 4, legal 2, electives 6
8: firearms4: officer survival2: legal updates6: electives20 total hours
400 Hours vs 496 Hours
R.S. 40:2404.2
- Statutory core minimum
- 400 hours
- Legislative floor
POST Level 1 standard
- Council-set requirement
- 496 hours
- Academies may exceed
Statute floor, council standard
Scoring Gates
- Statewide exam
- 70% minimumLAC 22:III.4703
- Each block
- 70% minimum
- Firearms
- 80% minimum
- Excused absences
- Cannot exceed 10%
- Time limit
- 90 minutes
- Oral testing
- Prohibited on statewide exam
- Item count
- Not published by POST
- All gates
- Independent; clear every one
Retest and Refresher
- Retests allowed
- One, if agency requests
- Minimum wait
- 15 working days
- Maximum window
- 30 working days
- Failed retest
- Repeat entire basic course
- Documented injury
- 8 weeks after release
- Five-year break
- POST Refresher course required
- Refresher blocks
- Legal Aspects and Firearms
- Refresher exam
- Pass statewide exam again
In-Service and Renewal
- Annual hours
- 20 per calendar yearLAC 22:III.4750
- Firearms
- 8 hours
- Officer survival
- 4 hours
- Legal
- 2 hours
- Electives
- 6 hours
- Requalification
- 80% yearly, POST course
- Lapse over 13 months
- Redo pre-academy firearms
- Who is covered
- Level 1 and 2
Revocation Triggers
- Malfeasance conviction
- Revocation is mandatoryR.S. 40:2405
- Lost gun rights
- Revocation is mandatory
- Unreasonable force firing
- Hearing may revoke
- Felony conviction
- Hearing may revoke
- Domestic abuse battery
- Hearing may revokeR.S. 14:35.3
- Training not completed
- Hearing may revoke
- Voluntary surrender
- Certification ends
- Hearing notice
- 30 days minimum
CAPES IT Exceptions
Consent, Automobile, Plain view, Exigent, SILA, Inventory, Terry
C: consentA: automobileP: plain viewE: exigentS: search incidentI: inventoryT: Terry frisk
Suspicion vs Probable Cause
Reasonable suspicion
- Specific articulable facts
- Supports stop and frisk
- Brief investigative detention
Probable cause
- Facts justify belief
- Supports arrest and search
- Higher factual showing
Stop versus arrest
Search Exception Picker
- Owner freely agrees→Consent search(Revocable anytime)
- Just made custodial arrest→Search incident(Gant limits vehicles)
- Contraband openly visible→Plain view(Lawful vantage point)
- Evidence being destroyed→Exigent circumstances(No warrant needed)
- Suspect flees into house→Hot pursuit(Exigent branch)
- Someone needs urgent aid→Emergency aid(Not evidence hunting)
- Cause plus mobile vehicle→Automobile exception(Scope follows cause)
- Vehicle being impounded→Inventory search(Follow written policy)
- Fear of hidden weapon→Terry frisk(Outer clothing only)
- None of these apply→Get a warrant(Default rule)
Landmark Cases
- Graham v. Connor
- Objective reasonableness force standard
- Tennessee v. Garner
- Deadly force needs threat
- Terry v. Ohio
- Stop and frisk suspicion
- Miranda v. Arizona
- Custodial interrogation warnings
- Arizona v. Gant
- Limits vehicle search incident
- Riley v. California
- Phone search needs warrant
- Rodriguez v. United States
- No stop extension
- Brady v. Maryland
- Disclose favorable evidence
- Giglio v. United States
- Disclose impeachment material
- Ramos v. Louisiana
- Unanimous felony verdicts required
Graham Factors SIR
Severity / Immediate threat / Resisting flight
S: crime severityI: immediate threatR: resisting or fleeing
Frisk vs Full Search
Terry frisk
- Outer clothing pat-down
- Weapons only
- Needs danger suspicion
Full search
- Pockets and containers
- Evidence included
- Needs warrant or exception
Safety versus evidence
Force Decision Picker
- Subject complying→Presence and verbal(No force needed)
- Passive resistance→Escort control(Low-level force)
- Active resistance→Control techniques(Reasonable and proportional)
- Assaultive, injury likely→Intermediate weapons(Document the threat)
- Death or serious injury→Deadly force(Garner threshold)
- Fleeing, no threat→Do not shoot(Flight alone insufficient)
- Subject now restrained→Recovery position, monitor(Prevent in-custody death)
Search Warrant Exceptions
- Consent
- Voluntary, from authorized person
- Search incident to arrest
- Lawful custodial arrest first
- Plain view
- Lawful vantage, obvious contraband
- Exigent circumstances
- Hot pursuit, evidence destruction
- Emergency aid
- Protect life or safety
- Automobile exception
- Probable cause, mobile vehicle
- Inventory
- Standard policy, impounded vehicle
- Terry frisk
- Outer clothing, weapons only
- Everything else
- Get a warrant
Miranda Essentials
- Trigger
- Custody plus interrogation
- Terry stop
- Usually not custody
- Public safety
- Quarles allows unwarned questions
- Invocation
- Must be unambiguous
- Counsel requested
- Stop until counsel present
- Booking questions
- Routine data exempt
- Spontaneous statements
- No warning needed
Force Standards
- Standard
- Objective reasonableness, Fourth Amendment
- Viewpoint
- Reasonable officer on scene
- Hindsight
- Not judged with hindsight
- Graham factor one
- Severity of the crime
- Graham factor two
- Immediate threat to safety
- Graham factor three
- Resisting or fleeing arrest
- Deadly force
- Significant threat of death
- Flight alone
- Never justifies deadly force
- State authority
- Reasonable force, lawful arrestC.Cr.P. art. 220
- Louisiana privacy clause
- Broader standing than federalConst. art. I
Robbery Ladder
Armed = weapon, First = belief, Simple = neither
Armed: actual weaponFirst degree: victim believesSimple: force only
Assault vs Battery
Assault (14:36)
- No contact required
- Attempt or apprehension
- Aggravated with weapon
Battery (14:33)
- Force actually used
- Poison also counts
- Grades by injury
Fear versus touching
Crimes Against Persons
- Battery
- Force used on another14:33
- Assault
- Attempt or apprehension only14:36
- Aggravated assault
- Assault with dangerous weapon14:37
- Second degree battery
- Serious bodily injury intended14:34.1
- Battery of officer
- Officer performing lawful duty14:34.2
- Domestic abuse battery
- Household member or partner14:35.3
- First degree murder
- Killing plus aggravating circumstance14:30
- Second degree murder
- Intent or enumerated felony14:30.1
- Negligent homicide
- Criminal negligence causes death14:32
Armed vs First Degree Robbery
Armed robbery
- Offender actually armed
- Dangerous weapon present
- Highest exposure
First degree robbery
- Victim reasonably believes armed
- No weapon proven
- Belief is the element
Weapon versus belief
Property and Theft Grades
- Theft
- Taking, intent to deprive14:67
- Under $1,000
- Up to 6 months
- $1,000 to $4,999
- Up to 5 years
- $5,000 to $24,999
- Up to 10 years
- $25,000 or more
- Up to 20 years
- Aggregate rule
- Distinct acts add together
- Simple burglary
- Unauthorized entry, felony intent14:62
- Aggravated burglary
- Armed, arms, or battery14:60
- Armed robbery
- Offender is armed14:64
- First degree robbery
- Victim believes offender armed14:64.1
- Simple robbery
- Force, no weapon belief14:65
Simple vs Aggravated Burglary
Simple burglary
- Unauthorized entry
- Felony or theft intent
- No breaking element
Aggravated burglary
- Inhabited or occupied place
- Armed or arms himself
- Battery during entry
Entry versus danger
Offenses Against Officers
- Resisting an officer
- Obstructing a lawful act14:108
- Refusing name
- Counts as obstruction
- Flight after notice
- Counts as obstruction
- Refusing to move on
- Counts as obstruction
- Resisting with force
- Separate, higher offense14:108.2
- Flight from officer
- Vehicle refuses to stop14:108.1
- Public intimidation
- Threats to influence official14:122
- Malfeasance in office
- Duty refused or abused14:134
- Obstruction of justice
- Tampering with evidence14:130.1
Justification Statutes
- Justification
- Lawful duty or arrest14:18
- Defensive force
- Reasonable to prevent offense14:19
- Justifiable homicide
- Reasonable belief of danger14:20
- Stand your ground
- No duty to retreat
- Aggressor rule
- Aggressor cannot claim self-defense14:21
- No common-law crimes
- Statute or ordinance required14:7
- Infancy
- Under 10 not responsible14:13
Detention vs Arrest
Investigative detention
- Reasonable suspicion
- Brief and limited
- Usually no Miranda
Arrest
- Probable cause
- Custody begins
- Miranda before questioning
Temporary versus custodial
Stop or Arrest Picker
- Hunch only→No detention(Not enough)
- Specific articulable facts→Terry stop(Brief detention)
- Subject may be armed→Protective frisk(Weapons only)
- Misdemeanor in presence→Immediate arrest(Or close pursuit)
- Offense outside your presence→Reasonable cause arrest(Article 213)
- Another officer holds warrant→Arrest on information(Positive and reliable)
- Suspect crosses parish line→Close pursuit arrest(Within Louisiana)
- Person now in custody→72-hour judge appearance(Excludes weekends, holidays)
Warrantless Arrest Grounds
- Offense in presence
- Misdemeanor: immediate or pursuitart. 213
- Felony committed
- Presence not required
- Reasonable cause
- Equals probable cause
- Warrant held elsewhere
- Positive, reliable information
- Close pursuit
- Enter another Louisiana jurisdiction
- Force on arrest
- Reasonable force allowedart. 220
- Advise reasons
- State reason for arrestart. 218.1
Indictment vs Bill of Information
Grand jury indictment
- Death or life offenses
- Grand jury returns
- Required by article 382
Bill of information
- Signed by district attorney
- Most felonies, misdemeanors
- No grand jury
Capital versus everything else
Detention Time Limits
- Terry stop
- Brief, suspicion-based detentionart. 215.1
- Stop demands
- Name, address, explanation
- Frisk trigger
- Officer reasonably suspects danger
- Traffic stop length
- No longer than necessary
- Extension
- Needs new reasonable suspicion
- Judge appearance
- Within 72 hoursart. 230.1
- Excluded days
- Weekends and legal holidays
Louisiana Court Terms
- Parish
- Louisiana county equivalent
- Sheriff
- Elected in each parish
- Bill of information
- District attorney charges directly
- Grand jury indictment
- Death or life casesart. 382
- Jury of 12
- Necessarily hard labor casesart. 782
- Jury of 6
- May be hard labor
- Unanimity
- Required after January 2019
- Civil-law heritage
- No common-law crimes
Traffic Stop Rules
- Legal basis
- Reasonable suspicion of violation
- Driver out
- Mimms allows ordering out
- Passengers out
- Wilson extends to passengers
- Documents
- License, registration, insurance
- Stop mission
- Citation and safety checks
- Dog sniff
- Only within stop time
- Frisk
- Needs danger suspicion
- Vehicle search
- Consent, cause, or exception
Impaired Driving Numbers
- Offense name
- Operating vehicle while impaired14:98
- Per se limit
- 0.08 percent or more
- Under 21
- 0.02 percent or more14:98.6
- 0.05 or less
- Presumed not impaired32:662
- Above 0.05, under 0.08
- No presumption; evidence only
- Conveyances covered
- Car, aircraft, watercraft, vessel
- Driver license
- Not an element
- Implied consent
- Highway use implies testing32:661
- Incapable subject
- Consent not withdrawn
- Breath test option
- Timely blood test offered
Field Sobriety Tests
- HGN
- Involuntary jerking of eyes
- HGN clues
- Pursuit, deviation, early onset
- Walk-and-Turn
- Divided attention test
- One-Leg Stand
- Balance and attention test
- Standardization
- Administer exactly as trained
- Documentation
- Record clues, not conclusions
Emergency Driving Rules
- Statute
- Emergency vehicle privileges32:24
- Red light
- Slow or stop first
- Speed
- Only without endangering others
- Parking
- May disregard parking rules
- Signals required
- Audible or visual warning
- Due regard
- Duty to all persons
- Reckless disregard
- No protection from consequences
- Returning from alarm
- Privileges do not apply
MARCH Trauma Order
Massive hemorrhage, Airway, Respiration, Circulation, Hypothermia
M: massive bleedingA: airwayR: respirationC: circulationH: hypothermia and head
Domestic Call Picker
- Protective order violated→Mandatory arrest(Presence not required)
- Aggravated battery shown→Arrest on cause(Mandatory)
- Second degree battery→Arrest on cause(Mandatory)
- Simple battery, danger likely→Arrest required(Impending danger test)
- No impending danger→Officer discretion(Still assist victim)
- Both parties accuse→Predominant aggressor analysis(Avoid dual arrest)
- No arrest made→Written report anyway(R.S. 46:2141)
Crime Scene Control
- Priority order
- Safety, medical, arrest, scene
- Boundaries
- Set larger than needed
- Entry path
- One controlled route
- Entry log
- Record everyone entering
- Movement
- Do not disturb evidence
- Tampering
- Obstruction of justice charge14:130.1
Chain of Custody
- Definition
- Documented custody from seizure
- Record fields
- Who, what, when, where
- Packaging
- Seal, label, initial, date
- Transfers
- Log every hand-off
- Storage
- Secured, limited-access locker
- Breaks
- Gaps, unsealed, unlogged items
- Effect
- Attacks weight and admissibility
Report Writing Essentials
- Voice
- First person, past tense
- Order
- Chronological narrative
- Content
- Facts, not conclusions
- Elements
- Cover every offense element
- Statements
- Quote key words exactly
- Corrections
- Supplement, never alter original
- Brady duty
- Document exculpatory information
- Untruthfulness
- Career-ending Giglio problem
Domestic Call Duties
- Order violated
- Shall arrest immediately46:2140
- Conflicting accounts
- Evaluate each account separately
- Predominant aggressor
- Not automatic dual arrest
- Order presumption
- Restrained party presumed aggressor
- Written report
- Required even without arrest46:2141
- Good-faith immunity
- Civil immunity with care46:2142
- Victim notice
- Rights, orders, shelter help
Crisis and Medical
- MARCH
- Massive hemorrhage first
- Tourniquet
- High and tight, timed
- CPR rate
- 100-120 compressions per minute
- CPR depth
- At least 2 inches
- Naloxone
- Opioids only; wears off
- Positional risk
- Never leave subject prone
- Distress signs
- Breathing complaints are emergencies
- Mandated curriculum
- De-escalation, bias, crisis intervention
Common Traps
Suspicion vs cause
Suspicion stops and frisks ≠ Cause arrests and searches
Frisk vs search
Frisk seeks weapons ≠ Search seeks evidence
Assault vs battery
Assault needs no contact ≠ Battery requires force used
Flight vs threat
Flight alone never enough ≠ Threat justifies deadly force
Statute vs POST standard
Statute floor is 400 ≠ POST Level 1 needs 496
Exam vs block score
Exam needs 70% ≠ Every block needs 70%
County vs parish
Louisiana uses parishes ≠ Sheriff elected each parish
Phone vs pocket
Phone data needs warrant ≠ Physical items searchable incident
Stop vs custody
Terry stop rarely custody ≠ Custody triggers Miranda warnings
Complete vs extended
Stop ends when finished ≠ Extension needs new suspicion
Last Minute
- 1.70% exam; 70% every block
- 2.Firearms qualification needs 80%
- 3.Written exam limit: 90 minutes
- 4.One retest; 15-30 working days
- 5.Level 1 academy: 496 hours
- 6.In-service: 20 hours yearly
- 7.Graham: severity, threat, resistance
- 8.Garner: flight alone insufficient
- 9.Miranda needs custody plus interrogation
- 10.Frisk is weapons, not evidence
- 11.Warrantless search needs an exception
- 12.Assault: no touch; battery: touch
- 13.Theft felony starts at $1,000
- 14.72-hour appearance excludes weekends
- 15.Protective order violation: mandatory arrest
- 16.Parish, not county, in Louisiana
- 17.Traffic stop: no unjustified extension
- 18.0.08 adult; 0.02 under 21
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