I could have sued. I would have won! But I didn’t! Here’s the story…
Way back in 1992, at a time before everything became electronic, I purchased a new car in September. In October, when the temporary tags had expired, I went to the BMV and purchased plates for the remainder of the year and the next.
I was young and dumb and assumed everything was in order. I popped the plate on my car and went about my life.
The guy I was dating at the time had his wisdom teeth removed. I lived on the north side of Indianapolis, he lived on the south. I went to visit him that evening. After spending a few hours with him, I called my roommates to let them know I was on my way home and hit the road.
When I was about halfway home, I noticed a police car behind me. Suddenly his lights went on, I pulled over, right at the Pendleton Pike exit on 465. As soon as I pulled over, a tow truck pulled in front of me. That made me very nervous.
The police officer came to my window and asked me if I knew why I had been pulled over.
Of course I did not.
He told me my plates were expired and I would have to exit the car.
I told him I did not want to get out of my car until I could go to the bottom of the ramp to a public place or until a female officer was called to the scene.
He told me I had no rights and that I had to get out.
I went on to explain to him that my plates could NOT be expired and I had the copy of my check in my purse. I turned to reach for my checkbook, when he reached in my window that was rolled down a few inches.
The officer was reaching to pull the keys from my ignition. That scared me so I rolled his arm up in the window.
This was a time when the windows had the cranks, not the buttons.
He grabbed my keys and hit me upside the head, just about my temple.
I bore down on the window crank and really put the hurt on him.
At that time, another male officer came to my car and pulled a gun on me.
Of course I got out.
Upon exiting my car, the second officer grabbed me by the back of my shirt and threw me across the luggage rack on the trunk of my car. I fell to the ground. He then pulled me up and slammed me against the trunk of my car which resulted in breaking the bone in the back of my hand and caused bruising to my ribs.
I was then handcuffed and placed in the front seat of a squad car.
At the time, there were complaints around Indy of men posing as police and raping women. I was absolutely terrified.
I asked the officer where he was taking me. He told me downtown. Yet, he got on the ramp going in the opposite direction.
As it turned out, he was taking me to the Post Road facility to process the paperwork, after which he took me downtown Indy to the jailhouse where I was booked and charged with Battery on an Officer. (that always made for an interesting first date story when I was on the dating scene)
Once at the jail, I was placed in a cell with about 10 other women. I sat in the corner with another young girl that was there for criminal mischief. We were both shy and very afraid.
Not long after we were in the cell, a girl was brought in that was majorly hyped up on drugs. She was stripped and was being escorted to a padded cell. She stopped at the bars and pointed to the two of us, saying she was going to get both of us.
I wanted to cry, but did not.
I happened to be on my period at the time – I asked several times for a pad or something and never got anything. By the end of the 13 hour ordeal, I was sitting in a pool of blood.
Thankfully I was able to get a hold of my roommate who brought a very large, oversized sweatshirt, so I could at least walk out with some dignity.
When it came time for my court date, I had a close friend go with me. We sat right outside a small conference room. Just before my case was to be heard, we could hear the prosecutor speaking to the police officer that had pulled me over.
I heard the prosecutor ask the policeman if I had asked to go to a public place or have a female officer called to the scene. He didn't answer right away, the prosecutor then got close up in his face and YELLED at him. The office then verified that I had indeed made that request.
The prosecutor proceeded to yell at the policeman telling him that I could sue the pants off the state and win.
The entire case was dropped. Still, I had paid the bail and had to pay another chunk to get my car out of impound.
My lawyer did tell me I could sue, and I would win – but I would have to move OUT and away of the Indianapolis area.
I did not sue!
Today, it kills me to see how many people sue for any reason they possibly can.
Sometimes life just deals you lemons, you just go on, live with it, get over it and move on!
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