Seatbelt violation leads to arrest for marijuana

One morning when a trooper noticed a driver in the Switz City area was not wearing a seatbelt, he initiated a traffic stop and the driver pulled over into the WRV parking lot. He had a warrant out for his arrest, and a little bit of marijuana in his pocket.

James Michael Brown, 29, Terre Haute, was arrested by Indiana State Police Trooper Randall VanArsdale on Friday morning, March 12.

James Brown

Brown was the driver of a 1993 Chevrolet S10 headed east on State Road 54 in the Switz City area that morning. When he proceeded through the intersection of SR 54 and SR 67, Trooper VanArsdale noticed Brown wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and he initiated a traffic stop, which was conducted in the parking lot of White River Valley School.

When asked for ID, insurance info and registration, Brown gave all the required documents to the trooper and told him he thought he had a warrant out for a probation violation.

A records check revealed Brown did have an active warrant issued out of Parke County. When Brown was advised he was under arrest, he said he wasn’t going to lie and he didn’t want to get into a scuffle and told the trooper he had a snuff box containing a little bit of marijuana. The trooper thanked Brown for his honesty and cooperation.

Brown contacted the owner of the vehicle and the owner sent another employee to pick up the S-10 and Brown was transported to the Greene County Jail then transferred out.

Brown is now facing a new charge of possession of marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor, in Greene County. His initial hearing is set for Thursday, April 1.