Man’s false Baltimore drug arrest deemed unwarranted by court

This is the United States, and though sometimes the legal system doesn’t always work the way we think it should, we are still owed an extensive amount of rights as American citizens. For example, we can’t be arrested without just cause and, therefore, should be able to feel protected in our homes.

A Baltimore case is an example of a man who was unfairly targeted and arrested by area police. He didn’t take his wrongful arrest lightly and fought for his protections by suing city police who arrested him on a drug charge without warrant.

According to The Baltimore Sun, the 55-year-old drug crime suspect was at his home on an April day in 2009. Sources report that police officers approached him and some of his house guests and ordered them around. When the suspect challenged the officers’ orders, he claims that they became violent with and handcuffed him.

The suspect had a history of drug charges on his record, though he had been convicted of only one, drug distribution, in 2002. Exactly what drug crime he was charged with after the most recent, disputed arrest is undisclosed.

What is known, however, is that no formal drug charge resulted from the arrest, and the arrest was ruled unwarranted. The victim sued Baltimore police and was awarded $95,000 for the false arrest by a jury yesterday.

This case is a solid example of how law enforcement has to follow the rules and should be held accountable when they violate a person’s rights. If a crime suspect ever has any doubts that his or her rights were trampled, it is within their best interests to take action.

Source

The Baltimore Sun: “City jury awards man $95,000 in false arrest case,” Peter Hermann, 25 May 2011