The Iowa Civil Liberties Union says a federal jury ruling on a Story County case sends a serious message to law officers across the state. I-C-L-U Executive Director Ben Stone says the ruling involves a woman who was strapped, naked, to a board after being arrested by the Story County Sheriff’s Department for public intoxication. Stone says the jury’s ruling found Story County officials were wrong. The jury said Story County Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald should be assessed damages of 25-hundred dollars as a punishment. And the jury awarded 25-hundred dollars to the woman for “emotional injuries”. Stone says the unidentified woman will also seek repayment of her legal fees. Stone says the case should remind government officials that their job description does not include public humiliation. The I-C-L-U brought the suit against the Story County Sheriff’s office in February of 1998. Assistant Story County Attorney Rod Reynolds says the County has 10 days from the ruling Friday to file its motions of appeal regarding the verdict. Reynolds says the federal judge will then decide whether to uphold or turn down all or part of the jury verdict.
