Turnabout is fair play, officers
A judge in Daytona Beach has ordered the city to pay a $195,000 settlement to four exotic dancers and to female bartenders who claim they were illegally strip-searched during a drug raid in September 2009.
The six were employees at Biggens Gentleman's Club. One of the dancers was found to be carrying a marijuana cigarette, but the charges were later dropped. No drugs were found on any of the others.
Each of the women will receive $5,000, and the rest of the money will go to pay attorney's fees.
The women were searched in front of 20 male officers, despite strip-search law that states that observers of a strip-search must be the same gender as the arrestee.
When we first read this story, we wanted to ask the obvious snarky question: Exactly where would a stripper hide a marijuana cigarette? Then there's the obvious comment, "Define 'strip' search, please."
But after reading the entire story, we were angry that these women were subjected to this. It's highly likely that the reason they were subjected to this type of strip-search was simply because they are strippers. And was it really necessary for 20 officers to watch? This is a blatant disregard for the humanity of these women and a complete violation of their rights.
There's only one thing that would make us feel better about the whole situation. While we are glad the women won their case, we feel the cops should all be hauled into the strip club and made to work that pole for a night. That ought to give them a good taste of what it feels like to have people staring at you while you're in a humiliating situation.
That would make even Lady Justice grin a little.