Student Sues Police After Acquittal On Theft Charge

In August 2023, Amara Harris gained her case towards the town of Naperville, IL, nearest she used to be fined for allegedly stealing a couple of AirPods in 2019 pace she used to be a scholar at Naperville Prime College. Now, Harris is suing the town once more, this age she is alleging that her civil rights had been violated and that she used to be maliciously prosecuted through the town’s legal professionals.

As ProPublica reported, Harris’s lawsuit, which used to be filed in federal courtroom on Would possibly 21, main points how the town took the case the entire solution to a jury trial in August 2023 in spite of a dearth of proof. Along with suing the town, Harris could also be suing a former college police officer Juan Leon and his instant manager on the age, Jonathan Pope. Leon additionally admitted right through the trial that he had refuse direct proof that Harris had in fact stolen the AirPods, which she has regularly maintained had been picked up through clash, as Harris believed they had been a couple she owned. 

As Harris advised ProPublica, her combat isn’t just for herself however for college kids to be handled moderately right through any investigation through the varsity. Harris’s lawsuit seeks $20 million in compensatory damages, punitive damages, and seeks to pressure Naperville and its police section to put in force coaching and oversight methods to steer clear of civil rights violations going forward. “They were wrong and they have to face consequences and be held accountable for what they did and for dragging this on.” Harris mentioned. 

A ProPublica investigation, “The Price Kids Pay,” exposed that Harris isn’t the one scholar in Illinois who were subjected to a device of college ticketing masquerading as college self-discipline. Actually, the investigative file discovered that the situation’s observe of levying charges and fines compelled some folks into debt. Compounding issues, there’s no possibility for a people defender to step in, because of this that households that need to combat the device must decide to a long and dear courtroom combat, like Harris did. 

S. Todd Yeary, the previous CEO of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and considered one of Harris’s attorneys, advised ProPublica that until the legislature goes to handle the disorder, the one actual solution to combat again is to significance the courtroom device. “If the legislators aren’t going to fix the law, if the system isn’t going to make sure there is accountability, the only recourse is to get the courts involved. This is about one young woman’s courage to say, ‘The reason I am not going to pay the ticket is because I did nothing wrong.’”

In ProPublica’s investigation, they discovered that Unlit scholars had been nearly 5 occasions as most likely as white scholars to be ticketed through the varsity’s police.

Harris’ go well with alludes to this investigation, because it alleges the price tag issued to Harris “constituted racial discrimination, a denial of constitutional rights, intimidation, and retaliation.”

Naperville Town Lawyer Mike DiSanto spoke back to Regulation & Crime by the use of an emailed observation detailing the town’s purpose to combat Harris’s lawsuit, and tried to distance the town from the movements of the law enforcement officials named within the go well with. “The police officers involved in this matter relied upon independent eyewitness statements from school officials and students in issuing the theft citation to Ms. Harris,” the observation mentioned. 

The observation persisted, “Further, prior to trial, the court denied Ms. Harris’ motion to suppress evidence, motion to dismiss, and motion for a directed verdict which further supports the evidentiary basis for issuing the citation. The fact that the jury acquitted Ms. Harris does not negate the factual basis for the actions of the city and its officers. The Naperville Police Department is an accredited law enforcement agency that provides significant training to its staff and maintains the highest standards of integrity which the city maintains were met in this matter.”

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