The U.S. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals today gave the Mulberry cops free rein to arrest and search speeders on Interstate 40, even though Arkansas State Police had been unwilling to give the local cops power to patrol highways outside town. The court’s theory is that the U.S. Supreme Court has given any cop power outside his jurisdiction for “probable cause” arrests. Here, the Mulberry cop said a motorist was speeding and used that as a pretext to stop, search and detain him.

No foul, the court said.

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Presumably, this gives cover to any jerkwater outpost along a freeway that would like to set up shop on the four-lane to look for “probable cause.”

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