Posted on 09/20/2007 4:29:27 PM PDT by decimon
BARROW COUNTY, Ga. -- A Barrow County woman says an off-duty deputy handcuffed and had her strip-searched because of a simple dispute over a power line.
“My life has never been the same since. I’m having a very hard time with it,” said Sue Worley.
A farm in Hoschton in Barrow County has been home to 60-year-old Worley all her life.
Late last year, a letter from the Georgia Transmission Corporation told her a 230 Kilovolt power line was going to go through her property. When surveyors showed up, Worley said she went down the road to talk. She said she didn’t threaten anyone, but the Barrow County deputy working with the surveyors didn’t see it that way -- the deputy called for backup.
“I saw two sheriff’s cars drive up,” said Worley. She was handcuffed, arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
“I was in the car and I went all the way to the jail handcuffed,” she said. Worley was booked into the jail, patted down and strip searched.
“She sprayed me down with lice spray. It was so humiliating,” Worley said. “They made a criminal out of me.”
The charges were dropped, but Worley and her lawyer are suing the Georgia Transmission Company.
“It’s just pure, old-fashioned intimidation. They want people’s land and they don’t want to pay for it,” said Worley's lawyer, Don Evans. “They’re going to set their power poles wherever they want and if anybody gives them any lip, they’ll put you in jail.”
She and her lawyer said they’re suing, not just for her, but for other Georgians facing the threat of eminent domain and what they see as loss of property rights.
“I just don’t see how this could happen in a land of freedom, but we don’t have freedom anymore because people can just do anything they want to,” said Worley.
Project H.O.P.E. -- Homeowners Opposing Power Line Encroachment -- said Worley's case shows the need for the governor and legislature to draw stronger citizen-friendly laws to prevent what it calls, "preferential treatment," for power companies.
A spokesperson for the Georgia Transmission Corporation told Channel 2 they had hired a deputy because they'd had some subtle threats from other residents in the area.
Right now, it looks like the power line will go up either late next year or in early 2009.
Serving two masters.
another power mad cop.....its an epidemic..
A lot missing from this story. She didn't threaten anyone...but what exactly did she say?
Yep, got to be real careful about that prohibited speech thingie.
Power line have to be ran in order to support human life as we know it.
At least she will not have to worry about lice.
“A spokesperson for the Georgia Transmission Corporation told Channel 2 they had hired a deputy...”
How does he arrest someone if he’s working a side job?
“Guess she wants to be on the grid, just wants the power lines in someone else’s back yard.”
So she shouldn’t have a say on what happens to her property?
I’m sure it’s the usual - she was told to leave her own land by the deputy, she said no, and he decided to pull rank.
The question is, were eminent domain proceedings completed such that the power company had the right to be on her land ?
The "perp"
Resident: Former land of the free
A cop is always on duty. That’s my understanding. The strip-search went too far though. Regardless of what she said, was she an imminent threat to the LEO?, to others? Did he suspect drugs? He better have a damn good reason.
That's the money quote.
You are right to say we don't have the full story. But it doesn't sound good.
Apparently, the deputy was in the employ of the power company at the time of the incident. Doesn't sound good.
Another is, who is going to answer in damages under the doctrine of respondeat superior? The power company or the political subdivision the donut muncher theoretically works for when he isn't grifting on the side whilst wearing his uniform?
Just as he did. I'm sure that's legal but maybe shouldn't be.
Absolutely it does not sound good.
My point was....what little thing did this woman say to Barney Fyfe to get him so riled up?
If the power company did that here, I would be more worried about this problem:
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Power-Line-Cover-Up-Government-Electromagnetic/dp/0316109118
A bit dramatic with the headline. She was strip-searched and deloused as part of the standard jail intake procedure. Now, should she have been in jail in the first place? That is where the real question lies. That Kerry jerk deserved to get tased and I’m sure he got strip-searched and deloused too ... did this woman offer similar resistance?
Doesn't seem like she much of an option.
I'm not familiar with these things, but I assume she was compensated financially for her property and the lose of it's use?
In New York bars often hire moonlighting cops as bouncers/security. You can guess at how many illegal activities they must overlook to do that work.
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