Home

In Supreme Court case, man says strip-search humiliated him

10.10.11

Florence said he went from the elation of having just bought a new home — the family was headed to a celebratory dinner — to the degradation of a strip search. And the arrest warrant was in error. Florence had paid the fine.

"It was a big shock," Florence, 36, the finance director at a car dealership, recalled before Wednesday's Supreme Court case over his ordeal. "I had just finished purchasing a home. It was a huge accomplishment to be living the American dream. Then, in a matter of moments, I was being processed like an inmate. … After that all happened, I cried, and I hadn't cried since I was a child. I just had so much emotion from being scared, humiliated."

The question for the justices is whether, under the Fourth Amendment 's protection against unreasonable searches, jails may strip-search people arrested in connection with minor offenses, no matter what the circumstances. Once naked, Florence was ordered to open his mouth, lift his tongue, hold out his arms, turn around and lift his genitals. He went through a similar search after being transferred to another county jail. Once naked, he was ordered to squat and cough.

Source: USA Today