Arrested For DUI, Woman Sues Over Strip Search
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 33-year-old woman from Coal City is suing LaSalle County after video from the county jail's security system showed her face down on the floor of her cell stripped nude.
Woman Sues Over Strip Search
Dana Holmes' federal lawsuit claims the video also shows four deputies, three men and a woman, pulling her to the floor, carrying her into a cell where they quickly and with great force stripped Holmes and walked out with her clothing.
Police say Holmes, who had been arrested in May for drunk driving, had a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit of .08.
Still, Holmes says there was no excuse for her being stripped.
After being naked for a few minutes, a deputy entered her cell and tossed some blankets to Holmes.
Earlier in the evening, Holmes had volunteered to take a breath test and was arrested for DUI.
Holmes' attorneys provided the video to CBS 2. The Sheriff's video shows Holmes rocking a bit, but it is hard to detect any violence.
Still four deputies -- 3 men and one woman -- carried Holmes into a padded cell and pulled off her clothes, including her underwear.
They left her on the floor naked face down for two minutes until a deputy threw what appears to be a blanket into the cell.
Holmes' attorney says Illinois law is clear: police can only do strip searches if they have reason to believe suspects have weapons or a controlled substance.
Holmes had already been patted down before.
The law also says strip searches can only be done by an officer of the same sex. Three male deputies removed Holmes' clothes.
CBS 2 reached out to the LaSalle County Sheriff for comment. He refereed us to the County State's Attorney, who said now that the lawsuit has been filed they cannot comment.
