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Woman held naked in jail as men watched
Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 3.27.05 | Ernie Suggs

Posted on 03/27/2005 7:33:55 AM PST by mhking

After being jailed last summer in Union City, Shakita Perdue was stripped, strapped to a chair and left exposed to male prisoners and guards for hours, according to an investigation by jail officials of the incident.

Now, she is suing those she says are responsible for $10 million.

This week, Perdue, 28, filed the lawsuit in federal court against the city, the South Fulton County Municipal Regional Jail and Georgia Correctional Health, the firm that handled medical needs at the Union City-owned jail. She charges that her civil rights were abused by her jailers that night.

"I had never been treated like that before in my life," said Perdue, who was booked into the jail on a drug charge. "It was a traumatic experience. It has messed up my nerves."

In an internal report on the jail's investigation of the incident, jailer Tremata Anthony said she strapped Perdue in the chair because Perdue was drunk, abusive and threatened to kill herself the night of her arrest.

The jailer was fired 17 days after the incident occurred for failure "to conduct herself in a professional manner using sound judgment at all times," the internal report states. The report listed nine violations of jail policy in the treatment of Perdue. The report indicates that there is an "isolation room" at the jail in which Perdue could have been placed. It also says Anthony filed no incident report, nor did she justify stripping Perdue.

The internal report was provided to the Journal-Constitution by Perdue's attorney, Eldridge Suggs IV, who obtained it through Georgia's Open Records Act.

Anthony wrote in the report that Perdue's paper gown was taken away and her hair was cut because she tried to strangle herself with the gown and with her braids.

The jailer said that she put pepper spray on the chair straps because Perdue tried to chew through them.

In the same report, a nurse with Georgia Correctional Health, Cathy Adams, wrote that Perdue was restrained in an area where detainees are brought to be booked.

"Due to her violent behavior, she was held in the cage in the booking area until she was calm enough to be moved to the medical area," Adams wrote.

When a male officer asked if he could cover Perdue, Anthony wouldn't allow it, another officer wrote in the report.

Repeated calls to Anthony for comment were not returned.

Helen Turner, a Union City councilwoman, said she and other city officials first learned of the incident in an area newspaper.

"I think it is a disgrace that we didn't know anything about it," she said.

Turner called Perdue's treatment "inhumane," and said, "I was appalled to know it happened here."

Not commenting

The South Fulton County Municipal Regional Jail is owned by Union City, used by several nearby municipalities and governed by a five-member authority created by the Legislature.

J. Clark Boddie, the mayor of Palmetto and a member of the jail authority, said he would not comment about Perdue's lawsuit because the jail is named in the suit.

" I am not at liberty to talk about it at all," said Boddie, who is also a U.S. marshal. "I am familiar with the occurrence, I just can't talk about it."

Repeated calls this week to Union City Mayor Ralph Moore and City Administrator Ski Saxby were not returned. Nor were calls to Dennis Davenport, an attorney representing the city and the jail.

Georgia Correctional Health, a private company, no longer provides health care to the jail in Union City. A representative of its insurance carrier said he hasn't seen a copy of the suit.

According to the jail's own report, the incident began after midnight last July 31 when Fairburn police arrested Perdue on charges of disorderly conduct for fighting with her cousin.

When the officers ran a routine background check, they found Perdue was wanted in nearby Union City for not completing all of her required community service on a previous marijuana charge.

Fairburn police turned Perdue over to Union City authorities, and she was taken to the city's jail.

Perdue, who admits she'd been drinking that night, said she was angry and crying when she entered the jail because her cousin had not been arrested along with her. But she didn't try to kill herself, she said.

According to the investigation, conducted by jail Sgt. James Hall, Perdue was taken to the jail's shower room at 2:47 a.m.and returned less than five minutes later in a paper gown. The report said she was placed into the "cage" in the middle of the holding cell.

At 2:55 a.m., Perdue tried to choke herself, Hall wrote. A minute later, Anthony, the jailer, and Adams, the nurse, went into the cage, took off the paper gown and placed Perdue "in the restraint chair nude," Hall's report said.

Anthony's account said Perdue was threatening to kill herself. "Perdue started to bang her head against the wall," she wrote.

Efforts to help

At one point during the hours Perdue was strapped in the chair, Hall reported that two officers attempted to help her. One asked Anthony if he could go into the cage and cover Perdue because there were male officers coming in with male inmates. Anthony told him no.

Another officer, after Anthony repeatedly told him not to cover Perdue, hung a blanket over the side of the cage, "so that other inmates could not look at her nude body," according to the report.

The blanket provided incomplete cover, Hall noted.

At 6 a.m., more than five hours after her arrest, Perdue was still naked and strapped to the chair when another nurse, Arlene Campbell, arrived at work.

"I found the female [Perdue] in four-point restraints in a chair. [She] was completely nude with exposed female genitalia." Campbell's report went on to say men across from the booking center "were laughing and making remarks under their breath."

Perdue said male prisoners were allowed to sit and watch her. At least one male officer made lewd comments, she said.

Her attorney said Perdue's civil rights were trampled.

"I am going to relentlessly pursue justice on behalf of Ms. Perdue," Suggs said. "I want to make them an example."

Suggs acknowledges that Perdue has not been a model citizen. She had been arrested several times prior to the July incident, she doesn't have a steady job and she doesn't have custody of any of her five children, ages 4 to 11.

"We are in the process of helping her rehabilitate her life and we will use whatever proceeds that we are going to win to put her back in the middle of the road," Suggs said.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Georgia
KEYWORDS: donutwatch; govwatch; guards; jailers; libertarians; wodlist
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To: Lurkina.n.Learnin

Then vote the left-wing fascist out of office.


101 posted on 03/27/2005 12:19:26 PM PST by YOUGOTIT
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To: ken21

You are so right!! As I was going to inform Harmless Teddy Bear, Men are forced to strip naked in front of female guards in LA County. Whats the big deal?


102 posted on 03/27/2005 12:27:25 PM PST by AMERIKA
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To: Annie03; Baby Bear; BJClinton; BlackbirdSST; BroncosFan; Capitalism2003; dAnconia; dcwusmc; ...
Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
103 posted on 03/27/2005 12:28:43 PM PST by freepatriot32 (Jacques Chirac and Kofi Annan, a pantomime horse in which both men are playing the rear end. M.Steyn)
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To: mhking
"We are in the process of helping her rehabilitate her life and we will use whatever proceeds that we are going to win to put her back in the middle of the road," Suggs said.
____________________________________________________________

Her attorney states that better drugs will be purchased for her by a state appointed official to insure this type of violation will never occur again. She needs to get the $10 million award so she can fight her ex-husband to get access to her children and corrupt them too. IMO

Thank God the police officer was a woman that caused all this. If it were a male officer, he would be hanging by his balls from the highest light pole in Georgia. IMO
104 posted on 03/27/2005 12:36:20 PM PST by antiunion person (For the Preservation of the United States, WE Need to Close Down the Borders.)
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To: nothingnew
If you can show me 2 cases where a large city's police budget that has taken a hit by a lawsuit, and not reimbursed through a higher budget the next year, I'll agree with you. It don't happen my FRiend.

I agree completely - The problem is, these police departments should see their budgets take a hit (and they should not be reimbursed via taxpayer money the next year) - They should do without!! until the payoff their damages (just like everyone in the private sector would have to do).

Police budgets are out of control -

105 posted on 03/27/2005 12:39:26 PM PST by SevenMinusOne
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To: shellshocked
If true and she DOESN'T win, then none of us are safe from abuse of authority.

Agreed.

But even if the rest of us were safe, she should still win if it's true.

106 posted on 03/27/2005 12:46:36 PM PST by Age of Reason
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To: DevSix
The problem is, these police departments should see their budgets take a hit (and they should not be reimbursed via taxpayer money the next year) - They should do without!!

Tell that to the local gubb, the councilmen, the citizens..."I'm sorry to report we cannot increase the Police Budget this year due to a lawsuit payment they have to pay off. Of course, they can't pay it off because they have no money of their own, except that which you humble taxpayers already gave them...to do so...we would have to pass a tax increase...what do you say, unarmed taxpayers who rely on the Police Department for your own safety...should we add a little tax increase to pay for your continued security?"

Feh!

FMCDH(BITS)

107 posted on 03/27/2005 12:53:06 PM PST by nothingnew (Why do all CHARLITE posts end up in "bloggers/personal"?)
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To: Pharmboy
"She deserves a million--and it should (partly) be taken out of the pay of the guards who allowed it to happen."

I'm sure the lion's share of any million dollar settlement would end up in the pockets of the crack dealers and lawyers.

108 posted on 03/27/2005 12:58:12 PM PST by Godebert
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To: DevSix
(just like everyone in the private sector would have to do).

They are not in the "private sector". You and I are.

FMCDH(BITS)

109 posted on 03/27/2005 12:59:28 PM PST by nothingnew (Why do all CHARLITE posts end up in "bloggers/personal"?)
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To: NetValue

Who is Tramata?


110 posted on 03/27/2005 1:05:43 PM PST by stands2reason (When in doubt, err on the side of life.)
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To: Godebert

Likely true...but she still deserves something and the guards need to be punished. This sound like Third World crap.


111 posted on 03/27/2005 1:36:12 PM PST by Pharmboy ("Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God")
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To: mhking

There is no excuse for this kind of treatment of this prisoner, NONE.


112 posted on 03/27/2005 1:38:58 PM PST by AmericanMade1776 ( The Year of Freeping Dangerously)
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To: Pharmboy

IMHO.....the only thing this crackhead "deserves" is to be locked up.


113 posted on 03/27/2005 1:40:35 PM PST by Godebert
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To: nothingnew
what do you say, unarmed taxpayers who rely on the Police Department for your own safety...should we add a little tax increase to pay for your continued security?"

Nah - Police departments have whole sections of their budgets that have nothing to do with directly providing safety to the public - These sections are for new toys, better toys, updated toys, are increasing revenue type toys - (and all have very little to do with protecting the public any better - In fact, we were all protected much better years and years ago when police departments had far smaller budgets).

114 posted on 03/27/2005 1:51:33 PM PST by SevenMinusOne
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To: Squantos; cyborg

I am well.

I expect to be back digging myself within a fortnight or so with luck.

Cowgirls forever..lol!

(a recovering patient's best friend)


115 posted on 03/27/2005 2:09:04 PM PST by wardaddy (I don't think Muslims are good for America....just a gut instinct thing.)
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To: wardaddy

Lord have mercy! LOL


116 posted on 03/27/2005 2:14:25 PM PST by cyborg (Sudanese refugee,"Mr.Schiavo I disagree with your opinion about not feeling pain when you starve.")
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To: wardaddy

Yheeeeeee Haaaaaaa !


117 posted on 03/27/2005 2:16:02 PM PST by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet. ©)
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To: YOUGOTIT

"Someone should be in jail but that never happens. I hope they win 50 million. If I were on the jury I would award 100 million as a minimum."

Let's see if I got this straight. This crook goes batshit crazy because she wanted her cousin arrested too, and exposes HERSELF by trying to strangle herself with her own gown. Head cop what's in charge says to let it be.

Now you say this dumbbunny should be given 50 million or 100 million?

I agree whatever cops weren't fired but let this happen should be fired, and the cop in charge should be in jail. But any damages she suffered were purely psychological, and the woman was already loopy as a loon, so there'll be a fun time proving them. And any money awarded shouldn't be paid out by the government but by these policemen individually. There's no way these cops have a million lying around, let alone 50 million, even if they are Atlanta's "finest," and I use the term as sarcastically as I can. And 50 million for exposing YOURSELF is ridiculous.


118 posted on 03/27/2005 2:29:26 PM PST by LibertarianInExile (The South will rise again? Hell, we ever get states' rights firmly back in place, the CSA has risen!)
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To: mhking

"Men held naked in jail as women watched"

...nothing new. The modesty of some prisoners is not observed, nor does our society observe morality. Most people who call themselves conservatives cheer for men to be forcibly sodomized in prisons. I'm more conservative than that, believing that sodomy is always a sin.


119 posted on 03/27/2005 3:19:49 PM PST by familyop (Essayons!)
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To: mhking

Pictures?


120 posted on 03/27/2005 3:21:26 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (IMPEACH ACTIVIST JUDGES!!! WHOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOO!!!)
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