One of the most disgusting stories that I have read about all year is the story of Charneshia Corley, who was sexually assaulted by law enforcement during a search for marijuana. The search didn’t occur in a private room at the police headquarters. It occurred in public view in a Texaco parking lot. I cannot fathom how one human could do that to another human, especially in the name of marijuana prohibition. Charneshia was accused of a traffic violation, and moments later a law enforcement officer is probing her private parts for all to see. That’s absolutely horrific. Below is a description of what happened, via the Huffington Post:
“They sexually assaulted, raped me and molested me,” Corley told The Huffington Post on Monday.
Her attorney, Samuel Cammack III, told HuffPost the two deputies asked Corley to remove her pants in full view of passersby.
“She said, ‘No, I don’t have any panties on,’ so the officer told her to bend over and she pulled her pants down for her and went to stick her hand inside of Ms. Corely,” Cammack said.
Corley resisted and the deputies forced her face-first to the ground, Cammack said. The female deputy then climbed onto Corley’s back and pinned her, while the officers awaited the arrival of a second female deputy, according to the lawyer. After the second female deputy arrived, the two women officers held Corley down and forcibly spread her legs, Cammack said.
“One held one leg and the other held the other leg and they stuck their fingers up inside of her,” said Cammack. “This was in a Texaco parking lot, where people were walking by and cars were driving by. This was a very busy area.”
Yes, police found marijuana during the search – .02 ounces. But that’s no excuse for violating someone’s rights and personal privacy. The ends in no way justify the means in this case. Whether it was due to public outcry, the threat of a lawsuit, or reports of a complaint to the police agency’s internal affairs division, the charges have been dropped against Ms. Corley. Per the Star-Telegram:
Drug possession and resisting arrest charges have been dropped against a Houston-area woman who says female deputies violated her rights by doing a body cavity search in a parking lot.
Charges were dismissed Thursday against Charneshia Corley of Spring. Corley’s attorney, Sam Cammack (KAM’-ak), says he then filed a complaint with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office claiming an unconstitutional search.
Prosecutors didn’t immediately return messages Friday. A spokeswoman for the sheriff’s office had no information on a complaint being filed.
It doesn’t surprise me that prosecutors didn’t return any messages. What is there to say? These officer’s conduct was so far out of line that they should not only be fired, they should look at criminal charges themselves. I won’t hold my breathe on that, but I am confident that there will be a lawsuit victory in Ms. Corley’s future. I hope she makes them pay out the nose.
