Strip Searched Teachers Sue Over Arrest at Bush Campaign Rally

[kerrygoddess]

Strip Searched Teachers Sue Over Arrest at Bush Campaign Rally
29 April 2005



This is outrageous! On September 3, 2004, two female teachers, both in their 50’s were arrested at a Bush campaign and subsequently STRIP-SEARCHED at the local county jail.

Two teachers arrested at a 2004 campaign rally for President Bush and strip-searched at a county jail have filed a lawsuit alleging law officers conspired to violate their constitutional rights.

Alice McCabe and Christine Nelson, both in their 50s, were among five protesters arrested at the Sept. 3 rally. The pair were handcuffed, taken to the county jail, strip-searched and charged with criminal trespass. The charges were dropped months later.

"I believe the federal government behaved very badly in this situation," said David O'Brien, the women's attorney.

The lawsuit claims the strip search violated constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure. Typically suspects are searched only if authorities have cause to believe they possess a weapon or illegal drugs, O'Brien said.

"We don't think they had a reasonable belief that these two, 50-year-old school teachers had a weapon or contraband in their possession that day," O'Brien said, whose clients requested a jury trial and unspecified damages.

MORE & LINKS - http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=801

[TreasonousBastard]

1. The mind boggles.

[bennywhale]

2. This is used as a threat

the same treatment is used here in Britain with protesting activists. Recently, anti-nuclear protesters were harrased, detained threatened and strip searched. Same in the miner's strike.

They know the word gets out about this treatment and it puts people off being activist. I'll bet those two poor teachers won't be demonstrating again.

[wli]

3. basically rape

It's an intimidation tactic to demoralize demonstrators etc. and it largely works. If people showed sufficient resolve to protest despite it they'd probably up the ante.