License valid, police state its revoked

Hello Everyone,

I am posting this question because I feel that I was violated and I am wondering if I have a case against our local police department. On Black Friday I was getting ready to go home (out of town) for the weekend with my family. I had already missed Thanksgiving due to having to work and I was anxious to get home and spend time with my family. My daughter 14 months and I were traveling in the city getting ready to merge onto a major highway. It was at this time approximately 4:30 p.m. that I was pulled over by a police officer. I complied immediately, wondering why he was pulling me over. He approached the car and asked for my license and registration. As I was reaching for the requested documents, he informed me that I was being pulled over because the tint on my two front windows were too dark. As I handed him my license and registration he asked me if my license was valid. I replied yes and he proceeded to his patrol car. He returned to my car approximately 5 minutes later and asked me to step out of the car. I complied, not sure what was going on. He informed me that my license was revoked and that he was putting me in his patrol car to answer some questions. I had no other choice but to leave my baby in the car while I answered his questions. I immediately told him that I was unaware of my license being revoked and I had gotten nothing in the mail to support this fact. He stated that I had 3 speeding tickets in an 18-month period and as a result my license was revoked. I explained to him that I didn't have three speeding tickets and was he sure he had the right person. He informed me that he did and that he would show me. When I got into the car, my sisters name was up on the monitor. She just happens to have 3 speeding tickets and her license was revoked. I asked him again if he was sure he had the right person and he said yes. He hit the screen a couple times and could not find the three speeding tickets but he would print me out something stating that my license was revoked. He further stated that according to the DMV was revoked and I had to take that up with the DMV. I asked him if he or the other officer could check on my baby who was still in the dark car, probably worried to death about where I had gone. He informed me at that time that he was letting me go with an appearance ticket and he would be quick as possible. No one went to check on my baby! I continued to question the revoked license and he told me it was and I am not to drive until the matter was taken care of. He gave me a bunch of paperwork and sent my on my way, informing me to call someone to have them pick us up and to park the car. I went back to my car, my baby was crying hysterically as he had been in the car for about 15-20 minutes by herself. I calmed her down and looked over the papers given to me by the officer. He did not provide me with the papers stating that my license was revoked, just three tickets. As a result of all of this I had to go home and was unable to go on my trip home to be with my family. On Monday morning I went to the DMV to find out was going on. They informed me that my license was good/valid and I purchased an abstract to present to the court. I then called the police department to file a complaint. I spoke with the chief of police who passed my complaint on to the captain. Yesterday I received a call from the captain who said he had a chance to review the DVD in the patrol car. He stated that my complaint was very much valid, that I was treated wrong and that he went before the judge to have the tickets dismissed. He further stated that the DVD would be used in training officers on what not to do. I feel I was racially profiled and as a result my daughter and I missed a family function that I was planning and looking forward to attending all month. I am pleased that the tickets were dismissed, however I am very upset that my daughter was left in the car unattended to, that I missed my family function and that I was unable to drive for the entire weekend. I believe that the officer knew he had the wrong person and he did this to be nasty. Do I have a case here or should I just be happy with having the tickets dismissed which I should have never had the tickets in the first place.

I think you should follow this up with a lawyer or the ACLU. Or the feds who deal in discrimination. The police department should have a program to send its officers through ... even officers that have been on the force for some length of time. This officer showed no consideration for you or your child and needs to be elsewhere... not dealing with the public. If the police department does not take the initiative and put him where he can no longer put the city in jeopardy of a discriminatiton suit, you should give them one just to remind them that they serve the public.

Find an attorney who deals in Title 42, Section 1983, which involves police officers acting under color of the law and ask about filing suit in the appropriate jurisdiction. Act quickly--time is of the essence.