Woman sues Surprise (small town NW of Phx) after domestic-violence calls lead to threats of eviction
A Surprise woman is suing the city after she called the police for help in domestic-violence situations and found herself threatened with eviction from her home.
She says a city ordinance to curb nuisance police calls discourages crime victims from calling for help.
Nancy Markham filed the lawsuit in federal court Thursday, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union as part of a nationwide “I Am Not a Nuisance" campaign to aid nuisance-law victims.
They are challenging the Surprise law they say urges landlords to evict tenants who place four or more calls to police within 30 days, or if two or more crimes occur on the property, even if the tenant is a victim.
“The Surprise ordinance punished me for seeking much-needed emergency assistance,” Markham said.
Surprise officials would not discuss pending litigation, but issued a statement that the Police Department “takes domestic violence very seriously and has a track record of diligently supporting and assisting victims of domestic violence. The Police Department remains committed to this effort and encourages anyone facing an emergency situation to always call 911.”
Between March and September 2014, Markham's ex-boyfriend choked her, punched her and threatened her with weapons, Markham said in a conference call with her attorneys on Thursday.
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/surprise/2015/08/28/evicted-woman-sues-surprise-apartment-law-domestic-violence-police-calls/71292918/
= new reply since forum marked as read
