Plaintiff, represented by private counsel, filed a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 action in the District of Maryland against officers, the Baltimore Police Department, and police and city officials in their individual and official capacities. Plaintiff sued for damages.

The plaintiff was a Registered Nurse who worked at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. On April 12, 2008, she left the hospital at approximately 7:35 p.m. and began her commute home. The police had blocked an exit ramp on I-83 North because of accident with a patrol car and road flares. The plaintiff drove over the road flares. The officer entered his patrol vehicle and followed the plaintiff 4/10ths of a mile, and with weapon drawn, ordered the plaintiff to the ground. Plaintiff was arrested for minor traffic violations. Plaintiff was later stripped searched at the Baltimore central booking facility, as was the policy for all arrestees processed at the facility.

In Defendant's 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, counts were dismissed as to the arresting and searching officers, but denied with respect against the supervisors of the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) and the secretary of DPSCS, as well as the warden of the booking facility.

A motion to dismiss was partially granted and denied on November 2, 2008 by Judge Andre Davis, and another motion to dismiss was partially granted and denied on September 1, 2009 by Judge Catharine Blake. A motion for summary judgment was partially granted and denied on March 31, 2011. As of 04/15/2012, this case is still ongoing, with the parties participating in several scheduling conferences, presumably in preparation for trial.

Blase Kearney - 04/15/2012


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