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Saturday, April 09, 2005

Ind. Decisions - Appeals court throws out cocaine conviction filmed by TV crew

An AP story on a Court of Appeals decision April 7th has appeared in papers nationwide. Some quotes:

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Court of Appeals has thrown out a man's cocaine conviction because his strip-search was filmed by a camera crew for the Oxygen Network.

In its ruling, the court found that the filming of Andra Thompson's strip-search was "unprofessional and unreasonable."

"Where should the media line be drawn?" Judge Edward Najam wrote in the ruling, issued Thursday. "We think the line should be drawn here. ... We will not sanction such conduct, which demeans the suspect and degrades the entire legal process. * * *

When he showed up during a June 2003 sting at a motel, officers took him into a bathroom and searched him, finding cocaine stuffed between his buttocks.

The search was filmed, with police permission, for an Oxygen Network show called "Women and the Badge." One of the arresting officers was a woman.

At one point, the camera zoomed in on Thompson's naked posterior for several seconds while he was bent over in handcuffs with his pants pulled down.

The decision is Andra Thompson v. State of Indiana (4/7/05 IndCtApp) -- access the ILB summary and case link here -- 4th case.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on April 9, 2005 03:51 PM
Posted to Ind. App.Ct. Decisions