Filed Date: June 22, 2001
Closed Date: 2002
Clearinghouse coding complete
We have no court filings from this case. However, news accounts indicate that this case is one of a series of individual and class action lawsuits filed in federal and state courts in California beginning in 1997 and challenging various alleged policies and/or practices of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD). The challenged policies included: 1) overdetentions; 2) strip and visual body cavity searches; and 3) wrong warrant arrests and detentions. See e.g. Musso v. County of L.A., JC-CA-21, and Williams v. County of L.S., JC-CA-33.
This case involved an allegedly unlawful strip search conducted at Twin Towers Correctional Facility. In December 2000, Plaintiff, Brandi Beaudoin, was arrested on a warrant for driving with a suspended license. While being booked at Lomita Station, Plaintiff informed LASD officers that she was six months pregnant. Because of her pregnancy, the officers determined that Plaintiff should be transferred to the Twin Towers facility so that medical staff could evaluate her condition. Plaintiff's husband posted a bond for her release, but the documentation for this release was not received until after Plaintiff was transferred to Twin Towers. After arriving at Twin Towers, but prior to being placed in the general population, Plaintiff was subjected to a strip and visual body cavity search. Plaintiff spent the night in jail and was released early the following morning.
A week after her release, Plaintiff twice went into premature labor, requiring medical attention. In 2001, Plaintiff filed an individual civil suit in state court, alleging that the strip search was conducted in violation of state law and ultimately caused her premature labor. Discovery commenced but, in June 2002, the County agreed to settle Plaintiff's claims for $150,000.
Summary Authors
Dan Dalton (1/22/2008)
L.A. County Sheriff's Department (Kolts Report and Implementation), No Court (1992)
Hoffman, Marilyn (California)
Ellison, Ellen Hammill (California)
Allen, Michael D. (California)
Hoffman, Marilyn (California)
Last updated Aug. 30, 2023, 1:38 p.m.
Docket sheet not available via the Clearinghouse.State / Territory: California
Case Type(s):
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Key Dates
Filing Date: June 22, 2001
Closing Date: 2002
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Pregnant individual was arrested for traffic warrants, taken to Twin Towers, subjected to a strip search and visual body cavity inspection.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: No
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: No
Class Action Outcome: Not sought
Defendants
County of Los Angeles (Los Angeles), County
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (Los Angeles), County
Case Details
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Outcome
Prevailing Party: Plaintiff
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Issues
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