Do you believe a judge should be able to use his position to avoid a ticket? Or that a citizen if asked by an officer of the law have to produce supporting I.D. beyond a standard drivers license? According to sources, a Louisiana District Judge did not, and when he was pulled over, this resulted in an altercation with the state trooper.

State District Judge Lewis Sams was stopped by state trooper Eric Schonfarber in front of the Red River Parish Courthouse, in Coushatta, LA, on June 29, 2009, for not wearing his seatbelt.

Sams has not commented on the incident, but a source familiar with the case related that the judge admits to not wearing the seatbelt, and that during the stop, Schonfarber checked the drivers license, registration and proof of insurance then questioned Sams about where he worked. Sams replied that he was a judge, and upon that answer Schonfarber requested to see the judges I.D and badge.

Sams said that he didn't think it was proper to use his position and asked for the ticket.

KTBS reports " Both the trooper and the judge were insistent over the judge's I.D. and the trooper wound up pulling his taser, manhandling the judge and pushing the judge onto the hood, said one person at the courthouse at the time. Sams got a ticket and was released and went into the courthouse."

Schonfarber, a state trooper for 14 years, later surrendered, and was booked in Red River Parish, then released on his own recognizance, on warrants charging him with simple battery, aggravated assault and false imprisonment. He is on paid leave pending the resolution of the case.

Since the trooper was in a backup car instead of his assigned patrol car, there is no video of the instance, but there were eye witnesses.

KTBS reports ""We don't know precisely what happened after our trooper stopped the judge for not wearing a seatbelt, but were going to find out," State Police commander Col. Mike Edmonson said today in a prepared statement. "As soon as we learned that a confrontation between the trooper and the judge had occurred, we began an internal administrative inquiry. We hope to wrap that investigation soon and will share our findings."'

SOURCES:

http://www.ktbs.com/news/trooper-arrested-for-manhandling-judge

http://www.cenlamedia.com/alb/index.php/site/article/state-trooper-arrested-after-confrontation-with-a-judge/