This case was brought in Florida state court on June 17, 1992, by a woman who was strip searched after being arrested for a traffic violation. According to the appellate court opinion, the only document available for this case, plaintiff failed to appear for her arraignment on the traffic charge and was later picked up for another traffic violation and for "indirect criminal contempt of court." The trial court entered final summary judgment against the plaintiff and she appealed.

On April 29, 1994, the District Court of Appeal of Florida, Second District, in a per curiam decision, reversed the trial court and remanded for futher proceedings. The appellate court determined that even if the criminal contempt was not a "traffic, regulatory, or misdemeanor offense" for which strip searches are prohibited, plaintiff's claim that the defendant performed the search without written authorization of a supervising officer was sufficient to establish a violation.

We have no further information about this case.

Denise Heberle - 03/20/2012


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