In a certain border state, all state peace officers have the authority to issue state citations for misdemeanor marijuana and paraphernalia offenses committed in their presence. Early last year, a certain Border Patrol Sector in the state began a new operation with state police. Under this operation, all sector canine handlers were cross-designated as state peace officers.
Explanation
Answer: E - Question 9 is a negative lead item, so the correct response is the only response option that CANNOT be validly concluded. The first sentence states that all state peace officers have authority to issue certain drug-related citations. Response E is invalid because it says that only sector canine handlers have such authority.
The first sentence states that all state peace officers have authority to issue certain drug-related citations; therefore, at least some who have authority to issue certain drug-related citations must be peace officers, Response A. The last sentence states that all sector canine handlers are state peace officers; therefore, all sector canine handlers have authority to issue certain drug-related citations because the handlers are state peace officers, Response B. Moreover, given that all sector canine handlers have authority to issue certain drug-related citations, it must be the case that at least some individuals who have authority to issue certain drug-related citations are sector canine handlers, Response C. Finally, given that all sector canine handlers have authority to issue certain drug-related citations, it must be the case that no sector canine handlers lack authority to issue certain drug-related citations, Response D.
