Filed Date: Dec. 12, 1985
Closed Date: 1990
Clearinghouse coding complete
On December 12, 1985, a detainee for a minor traffic violation filed this 42 U.S.C. §1983 action in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey against Hunterdon County, the Sheriff, and the Warden of the Hunterdon County Jail, and the Township of the arresting officers. The Plaintiff, represented by private counsel, asked the court for punitive damages, claiming that her Fourth Amendment rights had been violated because of a mandatory strip search.
On December 13, 1983, the plaintiff was pulled over and arrested on a bench warrant for failure to pay $75 in parking tickets in Newark. Plaintiff was unable to pay the $75 as bond at the stationhouse. She elected to wait for the Newark police instead of calling a family member to make bond (because it was very early in the morning). She was transported to Hunterdon County Jail for detention awaitingthe Newark Police. She was strip searched, over protests that she did not want to be detained and that she was menstruating, and detained thereafter.
On September 14, 1987, the Court (Judge Anne E. Thompson) granted summary judgment in favor of the plaintiff, finding Hunterdon County liable for damages (but not punitive damages), and dismissing the claims against the unnamed officers, the warden and the sheriff in their individual capacities. The charges against the township presumably were allowed to continue.
We have no further information about this case, except that it was closed three years later, on April 4, 1990.
Summary Authors
Blase Kearney (4/29/2012)
Thompson, Anne Elise (New Jersey)
Waldman, Thomas (New Jersey)
Dougherty, Michael (New Jersey)
Gallina, John P. (New Jersey)
Vaida, David (New Jersey)
Thompson, Anne Elise (New Jersey)
Last updated April 1, 2024, 3:05 a.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: New Jersey
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: Dec. 12, 1985
Closing Date: 1990
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Woman transferred from Clinton Township Police Station to Hunterdon County Jail for detention because of an outstanding bench warrant regarding traffic violations, and was strip-searched at Hunterdon upon entry.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: Unknown
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
Hunterdon County (Hunterdon), County
Township of Clinton (Clinton), City
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Constitutional Clause(s):
Unreasonable search and seizure
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Issues
General:
Affected Sex or Gender:
Type of Facility: