I.
On April 18th, a female was arrested while walking in the French Quarter. Immediately before the arrest, she was conversing with an undercover officer when he asked for her phone number. As soon as she gave him the number, she was put in handcuffs. When she asked what she was being arrested for the officer replied, “You know what… I’ll figure something out.” While being searched, the officer found marijuana and remarked, “Now I’ve got something.” During the arrest the officer was verbally abusive– using foul language and making sexual comments. They charged her with soliciting and possession of marijuana. She was held for a total of two days. Eighteen of those hours were spent in a holding cell until she was eventually transferred upstairs. The jail conditions were dirty and unsanitary. Mold was all over the walls of the shower and restroom area. They did allow her to keep her inhaler so that she could treat her asthma. Overall, the corrections officers were rude and unresponsive to any requests or questions. After 24 hours she was able to speak with a public defender in court. The public defender told her that s/he had no information on her case, and only asked her basic questions about herself. She received no advice. She was released on bond, and was scheduled for a court date on April 23rd. Upon release, her purse (containing her ID, cell phone and credit cards), which was confiscated by the arresting officer, was “lost.” The only thing returned was her money.
II.
On April 9th, the individual was pulled over and arrested, while driving near the Chalmette/NOLA boundary. The charge was public drunkenness, however, no alcohol test was administered. Neither her nor the vehicle was searched. During the arrest, she slipped the handcuffs. She asked what the charges were and the officer said, “Why are you Chalmette people always in trouble?” When she got to the jail she was not booked. She was held for 11 days. The jail was cold, with many bugs in the cell. The cell held 23 people. There was mold present in the holding cell. Corrections officers were rude and gave certain inmates preferential treatment. In the holding cell, she witnessed six officers verbally harassing a man. The public defender never tried to reach her. She was allowed to call her husband who brought her extra clothes from home. They held her for a few hours longer than they were supposed to because they lost her clothes, however, they were never returned.
III.
On April 19, 2007, the individual was brought to the SUNO campus police station to fill out a report. She was then taken into another room and told that they were charging her with disturbing the peace. When asked what she was being arrested for, Officer Miller (state officer) stated, “Oh, you want to be arrested?” Then he stood her up and put handcuffs on her. She was not searched. She had been in jail since the afternoon of the 19th and was moved to SWS. The jail conditions were “disgusting.” There was scum in the toilet and no toilet paper. She didn’t see any mold. Erin witnessed two people being maced by officers in a packed holding cell– there were approximately 47 people in the cell at the time. Once the officers finished macing them, they shut the cell door and left. People had asthma attacks from the fumes. A public defender never contacted her, but she said that someone must have gone to court for her. Apparently, one man was sent to court on behalf of everyone being held. She was released on bond. There isn’t a set court date, but she has been subpoenaed. All of her property was returned upon release.
IV.
On the morning of April 19, the individual was a passenger when the car was stopped near the Interstate 10 off-ramp on Claiborne Avenue. The officers searched her and the vehicle. She was arrested for a possession attachment. The charge was previously settled when the officer didn’t show up in court; the judge told her the case was closed. She believes that the officers basically arrested her for driving in a car with a black man and that the bogus attachment was used to justify the search. The arresting officers treated her “horrible.” At 4:30 am they transferred her to another location where there were 45 people in one 6’x10’ cell. The conditions were “disgusting.” The rooms had not been cleaned, there wasn’t a shower, the water was scalding, there was mold in the toilet, there were bugs in the water container, and she had to beg to get fed baloney twice a day. She didn’t experience any respiratory problems or headaches while in jail. At 4:00 am, the corrections officers maced two women – one was drunk and fighting with another woman. At the same time the officers gave them warning, they started spraying them with mace. The corrections officers left everyone in the holding cell with the fumes for five minutes. A public defender never contacted her. One man went to court for everyone, but apparently he was brought to the wrong court. The judge told him that the “case was closed,” and then it was reopened and move to a different court. She is not sure of her court date because the computers were down. She is still waiting for her property to be returned.
