Woman Sues Police For Removal Of Her Breast Rings With Pliers When Arrested

[DeSwiss]

Exposed breasts case moves to federal court

Jim Walsh
The Arizona Republic
Jun. 27, 2007 10:42 AM

A woman who claims her rights were violated by Mesa police during a search after her arrest on assault charges is headed to federal court. In a Maricopa County Superior Court suit, Aran Griffin's attorney argues that she suffered from panic attacks and other forms of emotional distress after she was forced to expose her breasts while officers booked her in December at the police lock up. The issue was removal of body piercing jewelry. Griffin removed her tongue and nose rings, but said only a professional should remove the breast rings.

This conflicted with police policy, which requires that all inmate property be confiscated for the safety of officers and inmates. Detention Officer Jennifer Gneck removed the rings with pliers as Griffin stood before a bathroom wall, with male officers watching and with her back to taunting male inmates. "Defendant's acts go beyond all possible bounds of decency. These acts were atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized society," attorney Keith Knowlton wrote in his complaint.

Griffin called the treatment "disgusting" in a March interview with the Mesa Republic. "I got treated like a piece of meat. I was in a hungry lion cage," she said. "I felt embarrassed and humiliated." The suit claims the search was unreasonable and that Griffin's right to privacy also was violated.

In his answer, Assistant City Attorney Marc Steadman said Griffin's rights were not violated, that the officers' action were not reckless or negligent, and that Griffin is not entitled to damages. Steadman raised the ante by getting the case transferred to U.S District Court, saying the federal court is the appropriate venue for civil rights claims filed under federal law.

Knowlton's office declined comment. His original notice of claim against the city demanded $268,000 in damages, but an amount is not specified in his April Superior Court lawsuit. He argues, however, that Griffin is entitled to punitive damages for emotional distress and that she required psychological counseling and treatment after exposing herself during the booking. Griffin, then 26, was arrested Dec. 5 after an argument with a friend of her roommate. The charge was dropped when the witness and victim did not show up in Mesa Municipal Court to testify.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/mesa/articles/0627mr-expose0628.html

*** - You know, they never warn you about this kind of thing happening to you at the body piercing shops, do they??? And what's worse, it was all for nothing. For an argument with her roommate's friend, who didn't even bother to show up in court after her ordeal. Hell, she might as well sue them too....

[Neoma]

1. ....

I'm never going to wear earrings again.

[DeSwiss]

2. You know....

...I've heard that some men get their penises pierced. So I wonder what the Mesa Police Department's policy on removal of those things??? Draw straws -- loser pulls it out????

[Robeson]

5. That reminds me of the old snake bite joke.

[NaturalHigh]

10. Oh gee, that's just wrong.

:scared:

[liontamer]

3. why did they even know she had them?

Does arizona regularly strip people that they have in simple lock up?

[DeSwiss]

6. Depends on the size of the rings, I guess....

(/snark)

[xmas74]

13. I used to work in a jail.

When you are arrested one of the questions they will ask you is if you have any brandings, tatoos or piercings and the location of each and every one.

She was probably truthful about the piercings and that's how they found out.

[BlueIris]

4. This one could get (disturbingly) interesting.

[rug]

7. Ack.

To think I found the circimcision threads queasy.

[baldguy]

8. If she had a steel rod in her leg, would they want to remove that too?

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. Sorry, but I just have to chuckle

The way the thread title is worded, I thought "What a weird thing to sue for".

That said, this is clearly ridiculous treatment, and yet another reason that we need serious reform of our penal system, especially for women's prisons and women prisoners.

Fucking disgusting.

Those cops should have their entirety sued away from them, and their boss should be fired, just as a matter of principle.

[bleedingheart]

11. personally I think she deserves to win the suit because

the officers could have easily transported her to an ER where a doctor would have removed the rings...and a female officer could have been there with the inmate properly restrained..

what they did do was disgusting and degrading.

[ThomCat]

18. I agree. They did this in the most dangerous and degrading

way possible. They deserve to lose that lawsuit. x(

[GreenPartyVoter]

21. Absolutely

[LeftyFingerPop]

12. This is bad...

they should not have done that shit. Fucking pricks. :grr:

[Roon]

14. One of my ex lovers

Had to remove his navel ring from his stomach (he had a nice belly) and remove his ear rings...I think it's BULLSHIT(prison)

[In_The_Wind]

15. She should win. Let's send her tormentors to jail.

Officer Jennifer Gneck and the male officers need to learn a bit about 'compassion & human dignity'.

[Haole Girl]

16. With pliers?

Ouch. That probably hurt.

Though, I realize the lawsuit is based on emotional distress. I still can't help but wonder if that hurt.
:scared:

[WinkyDink]

17. It's sexual assault, is what it is. There is nothing funny about this, but plenty perverted.

Did they think she was a witch?

[Rob H.]

19. They couldn't have been taken out somewhere more private?

What the hell is wrong with them?

I made the mistake of reading some of the comments following the article and now I feel like I should go take a shower. Some of those people were so hateful it's sickening.

[Ariana Celeste]

22. They should have.

There are rooms for that type of thing. When I was arrested I was strip searched by a female officer- and only a female officer- in a separate room. That's done for a reason.

[Dora]

20. The Mesa PD hasn't changed a bit, and neither has Phoenix Metro.

Any changes I've seen in the Phoenix metro area is entirely for the worse.

Goodness, I remember hearing about Mesa PD craziness back when I was a whippersnapper.

[jmowreader]

23. Umm...I hate to say this...but...

You use pliers to remove captive bead rings, which is almost certainly what she was wearing.

No, you don't grab them and yank. You use ring-closing pliers, or needle-nose pliers if you don't have real ring-closing pliers, to spread the ring out enough to remove the bead. Then you put a little bit of water or saline solution on the pierce to remove any dried lymph that may have collected there (nipple rings are notorious for this) and slide the ring out of the piercing.

Given that, I hope the lady wins her case. The part about being in front of male officers while this is taking place, and being around ANY other prisoners whatsoever, with her breasts bared definitely falls into invasion of privacy, cruel-and-unusual...we can find others.