$75k paid to Louisiana man for false drug possession charge

Recently, a man was paid $75,000 by the city of New Orleans to settle his federal complaint against the city. In his lawsuit, he alleged that he was falsely arrested by New Orleans police officers on a drug possession charge back in 2011. However, according to the lawsuit, one of the officers who filed the police report was not even present at the time.

The Louisiana attorney for the man said that the settlement check had arrived. As a part of the settlement, the city did not make any formal admission with regard to violating the man’s civil rights. On the other hand, the two police officers involved in the incident pleaded guilty and resigned from the police force. Also, one officer was fined $5,000 and the other was fined $2,500 for their involvement in the event.

The officers had claimed that a crack rock fell from the man’s pocket when they searched him, which allegedly led to the arrest. Before proving that the officers had lied regarding the incident, the arrested man spent a total of four months in jail. Later, he was able to prove that the officers actually fabricated their stories while under oath.

The idea that the officers may have planted evidence and/or lied about facts regarding this man’s drug possession charge makes one think about corrupt police officers from Hollywood films. As it turns out, these kinds of situations do sometimes happen in real life. Although such instances are rare, if a Louisiana resident is “framed” for a crime that he or she did not commit, then it is absolutely imperative to bring forward a legal defense that shows the holes in the prosecution’s version of the facts. Ultimately, the people who fabricated the story and/or planted the false evidence are the ones who should be brought to justice in such cases.

Source: bayoubuzz.com, City pays $75,000 in bad drug arrest, No author, Dec. 6, 2013