Pubdate: Tue, 19 Apr 2005
Source: Orlando Sentinel (FL)
Copyright: 2005 Orlando Sentinel
Contact:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/325
Author: Chrystian Tejedor, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States)

MIAMI-DADE WILL PAY AFTER STRIP SEARCHES SPARK LAWSUIT

MIAMI -- Miami-Dade County agreed Monday to pay $4.55 million to thousands 
of people strip-searched at its jail, in a tentative settlement reached 
when three women activists sued after their arrests during free-trade 
demonstrations in 2003.

Judith Haney, Liat Mayer and Jamie Loughner last year filed a class- action 
lawsuit against Miami-Dade after the Free Trade of the Americas meeting in 
downtown Miami, alleging they had unnecessarily been subjected to invasive 
strip searches.

On Monday, the county agreed to settle the suit and pay the settlement to 
more than 100,000 people.

Miami-Dade also has agreed to comply with state law, which bars jail 
officials from subjecting to strip searches people accused of minor 
offenses unless the person is arrested on a drug charge, is suspected of 
having contraband or is booked on a violent offense.

The law requires supervisors to give written authorization for such a search.

"[Such] searches are extremely violating for anyone, but particularly for 
women," said Terry Coble, president of the Greater Miami Chapter of the ACLU.

"This settlement reinforces that principle."

The tentative deal was signed Monday by U.S. District Judge Adalberto 
Jordan; final approval could come Sept. 23.

It brings to an end a longstanding practice discovered only after police 
arrested 234 people during the FTAA protests, including the three women.

"We didn't know this was going on for at least seven years," said Randall 
Berg, executive director of the Florida Justice Institute and a lawyer for 
the women. "That's how we found out about it, the FTAA."

Under the Miami-Dade Corrections Department's new policy, jail officials 
may strip-search people suspected of bringing in contraband, and women 
charged with nonviolent misdemeanors can be strip-searched before their 
first appearance in front of a judge if a supervising corrections officer 
has given written authorization.

At the Orange County Jail, spokesman Allen Moore said corrections officials 
rigorously follow state law and often exceed it.

"We do strip searches on all people who are charged with drug offenses, but 
we don't strip-search every inmate," Moore said. "We have a standard 
operating procedure and policy on strip searches, and we are even more 
restrictive than state law, in some cases."

Maya Bell of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Chrystian 
Tejedor is a reporter for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, a Tribune 
Publishing newspaper.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom