Three women who had been subjected to strip and cavity searches in accordance with a blanket policy to strip search all female arrestees regardless of the charges or the liklihood that they are concealing contraband were part of a class action to challenge the constitutionality of the policy, filed on March 1, 1979. Jane Does v. City of Chicago, No. 79 C 789 (N.D. Ill. Jan. 12, 1982) That case resulted in a settlement in which the City of Chicago was permanently enjoined from instituting strip searches or body cavity searches on women and not on similarly situated men, and from performing strip searches of any person charged with a traffic, regulatory, or misdemeanor offense unless police reasonably believed that the arrestee was concealing weapons or contraband.

The three women were selected by the parties as typical cases to separate out for trial on the issue of damages. Jury trials were held and the women were awarded damages in the amounts of $25,000 and $60,000.

The City appealed, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit upheld the awards and the finding that the policy was unconstitutional.

Denise Heberle - 03/28/2012


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