Last year, a student at the University of Virginia was arrested by state agents after they mistook a package of bottled water in her car for beer. However, justice has been at least partially served for Elizabeth Daly, who was 20 years old at the time of her arrest. She has been awarded $210,000 in a settlement between herself and the state of Virginia:
Attorney General Mark R. Herring announced the settlement Wednesday night with Elizabeth Daly, who had filed a $40 million federal lawsuit against agents with the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control….Herring said the settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing by any of the parties in the lawsuit.”My goal throughout this case has been to reach a resolution that is just and fair for all parties, including Ms. Daly, the ABC and its agents, and the Commonwealth and its taxpayers,” Herring said. “After careful consideration of the potentially significant costs of taking this case to trial, I believe we have reached such an outcome.”
According to the lawsuit filed by Elizabeth Daly, seven plainclothes agents approached the 20 year old’s car without identifying themselves, and demanded she roll down the window. When she turned on the car, the agents attacked, attempting to break through the windows and into the car. One may or may not have pulled a gun.
Daly attempted to flee the scene (and the seven men screaming and jumping on her car.) She was eventually charged with evading police, and assaulting a police officer after her car grazed two of the agents.
Hopefully this settlement will serve as a lesson against overzealous police action–especially when a simple knock on a door or a flash of a badge will suffice.
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