A Maryland county has agreed to change its procedures so that peaceful, pro-life protesters no longer are strip-searched and shackled to shut them up, according to a report from the Alliance Defense Fund.
The organization has been working for several years on the litigation since the incident developed in 2008.
According to the claim filed on behalf of about 18 pro-life protesters, authorities violated the U.S. Constitution when they first ordered the protesters off of county property, then later when protesters complied and moved to city property, swooped down on them in seven police cars, shackled, strip-searched and jailed them.
The agreement provides for the county and several individuals to be dismissed as defendants based on the promised change in policy. Claims against other defendants remain.
The ADF said the county "agreed to a policy change to ensure that peaceful protesters will be protected from undergoing strip searches at the county detention center."
"Pro-life advocates should certainly not be strip searched for peacefully expressing their beliefs," said Daniel Blomberg, litigation counsel for the ADF. "The county did the right thing by changing its policy so that pro-life advocates will no longer be subjected to such needless and embarrassing searches for lawfully exercising their First Amendment protected right to free speech."
On that day in August 2008, at least a dozen state, county and city police officers handcuffed 18 participants in an annual Defend Life "Face the Truth" Pro-Life Tour.
The participants started their peaceful event along a public road in Harford County. Later, however, the group relocated to public property in the town of Bel Air, where they had been several times in past tours, after being told by state troopers to leave the county for not having a county permit to engage in free speech activities. The officers then arrested them in Bel Air without explanation.
Once in custody, the young women who had been arrested – at least two of whom were teenagers – were subjected to two rounds of strip searches, according to the ADF.
Only after the strip searches and a night spent in jail were they told why they were arrested. A week after their release, the state dropped the charges of loitering, disorderly conduct and failure to obey a lawful order that had been filed.
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8 comments:
So why do they arrest these people, yet the people of Westboro Baptist are allowed to publicy protest military funerals? Can someone please explain this?
There's a GREAT question Anonymous. I wonder if ANY of those 'honorable' state cops have mothers or sisters who are pro-life. Would they arrest them and humiliate THEM if they were in this PEACEFUL protest?
God help this country! Judgment can NOT be far away, not when 'good is called evil and evil is called good'.
Isaiah 5:20
From the picture it looks like they were protesting on private property, and their vehicles were stopped illegally along a roadway. Just questions I would ask as to their legality of being there. I do not know why these politicians in Montgomery County bowed down to these people and said they will not be strip searched when arrested and brought into the jails for processing. Now everyone who is brought in can sue for descrimination if they are searched. On the other hand they can just stop searching prisoners at all, hell more dope, knives and phones are in jails anyway.
umm... not told your arrested, what did the think they was happening when state troopers placed handcuffs on them?
Never had problems with protesters until they started showing aborted fetus photos on the oc boardwalk while families are trying to enjoy their vacation.
These charges were never serious. They never needed to put these people in general population thus no danger to others.
Miscarriage of justice pure and simple.
1'st amendment only counts for the evil obviously.
7:53 PM
u can tell private property from, say county property from a picture? Hint: the article said they moved to city property after being told they had to move by msp. Yes, sometimes you actually have to read.
8:33 PM
You still have to be told what you are being charged with, why you are being detained.
Ok, that's enough dumb questions for one night.
Teenagers stripped searched TWICE? This type of tactic (arresting people and then releasing them later with no charges) has been a police tactic for YEARS. The Secret Service does it all the time. And what's up with having to ASK the government if they will give their PERMISSION to LET you exercise free speech on public ("we, the people" paid for it) land? They were arrested without being informed of the charges?? Serving and protecting. Give us MORE of that, sir! And go ahead and have your "serving and protecting" officers strip search my teenage daughter, too. Twice. I'm wondering how many pedophiles are wearing a badge in THAT police department?
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