Reason #796 to Legalize Marijuana
How ’bout this one? Saves the State of Texas a whole mess of money in lawsuits.
Two Texas woman, Angel and Ashley Dobbs, were stopped by State Troopers for the crime of throwing a cigarette butt out their car window. A third trooper was called to the scene because one of the troopers smelled marijuana inside the car – a car registered to Angel’s boyfriend.
The third trooper – a female – proceeded to do what needs to be done when the heinous smell of marijuana happens in Texas – she did a cavity search.
The lawsuit alleges that Helleson used her fingers to search inside each woman’s genital areas. The suit also says that the trooper did not change the glove she was wearing and performed the search without consent. Angel Dobbs, who was driving her boyfriend’s car at the time, also passed a field sobriety test.
The suit also says Helleson failed to properly explain the extent of the search, telling Angel Dobbs, 38, “not to worry about” why she was putting on blue latex gloves.
“This intrusive cavity search occurred on the side of a public freeway illuminated by lights from the police vehicle in full view of the passing public,” the lawsuit reads. “Moreover, this roadside body cavity search was done without her consent.”
No drugs were found in the car and both women were stone cold sober.
An Actual Picture of the One Pair of Actual Rubber Gloves
The Texas Rangers investigated and sent the case to the Dallas County District Attorneys office.
So, a DPS Trooper did two body cavity searches on the side of the road in full view of the public because they “smelled” marijuana.
Drive friendly, y’all.
Thanks to Brian for the heads up.
I am appalled that they would invade a woman’s privacy that way on the side of the road, not to mention not changing gloves before the second search. Shame on them.
1We’re hitting rock bottom in so many ways.
2DWPF driving while pretty female in Texas- who knew.
3So right, fenway fran, so right. I hope this “escapade” by the Troopers costs the State of Texas a whole great bit bundle of money, which is all the State Guvmint cares about.
4I suppose this case will soon make it to our AG’s office where he and Dewhurst and Guv Ricky will review the dashcam tapes over and over and over.
5Texas is like a whole other country. A third world one.
6Dear Lord. Horribly wrong in so many ways. Sorry, Susan. I can’t laugh at this one.
7This is a new low by any standard!
8Violating a woman under these circumstances is far, far worse than throwing a cig butt out the window. I don’t know much about weed but if it anything like cigarettes, the smell never leaves the inside of a car. Grace Newton is correct, it is horribly wrong in so many ways. I hope those girls win their suit; goodness knows our AG has no problem spending boatloads of our tax dollars on attorneys to sue the Federal government.
9What’s the problem? They didn’t even get tazed first.
I am not of the Texas persuasion, so I don’t know. Are Troopers and Rangers the same thing or different things?
10Good grief, no wonder Texans ‘need’ their guns for protection!! Who knew, besides Texans, what it was they need to be protected from??? If this doesn’t cause Texas to lose a lot of tourists & conventions, I can’t imagine what it would take!
11Can’t wait for some Texas politician to start explaining how this was a “legitimate” cavity search, and woman folk shouldn’t get embarrassed or offended so longs as it’s “legitimate.”
12The suit should not just be against the female officer. Every one of the officers present should be sued and assigned security guard duty in the DPS parking lot.
13I’m afraid this wouldn’t save Texas money on lawsuits. Stupid people can always find another way to be stupid.
14@Docterry: The Texas Rangers are the Texas version of the FBI, in a nutshell. I think they have jurisdiction over almost everything. It’s the oldest law enforcement organization in the country.
15Juanita:
This ranks right up there with the whole sonic imaging BS to get an abortion. Another example of Government intrusion. And this is from a state government that prides itself on not wanting to have “government intervention” into our private lives.
16Money also needs to come from the individuals that did it. The taxpayers are always the one that have to pay. What about individual compensation from the actual offenders? If every tazer, cavity-searcher, or any other civil right abuser was personally bankrupted, they might start thinking about things twice. As it is, they just stick us with the bill.
17Does anybody smell another cheap Hollywood splatter movie in the offing? “The Texas Roadside Body Search Massacres” or some such ilk? “Based on true events!”
I can see it now……disgusting but predictable. Courtesy of Rick Perry’s Texas gubmint.
18A President from Texas looking for non-existent weapons of mass destruction, state troopers from Texas smelling non- existent pot. They must stage “Waiting for Godot” a lot in the schools down there.
19How did the troopers think the women might have smoked something?
20Given the state of government in Texas, we ought to be grateful they called a woman to violate the women’s rights.
21Y’all better make any prospective road trips up here to Colorado. I sure ain’t making one down there!
22Hey geniuses, if the car smelled of pot, then that wasn’t a butt she pitched out the window. What’s with the vaginal search?
23What happened to dinner and a movie before trying for “third base”?
oops…. (hangs head) Sorry Momma.
24Hey, let’s show a little more respect for these law enforcement professionals, okay? After all, here’s what the Honorable Rick Perry said today at the State Capitol at graduation ceremonies for 74 new state troopers:
“You entered this room as recruits, but will walk out bearing a title rich with honor, history and prestige,” said Gov. Perry. “Today, you become State Troopers, earning the respect and admiration of your families, your peers and your governor. I salute and commend you for your willingness to preserve, protect and defend the constitution of our nation and our state.”
The news release from which the Honorable Governor’s remarks were quoted went on to explain:
“The troopers began the 21-week training academy in July of 2012. Instruction covered more than 100 subjects, including counter-terrorism, traffic and criminal law, arrest and control procedures, accident reconstruction, first aid and Spanish. They also received training in use of force, communication skills, firearms, driving, criminal interdiction, cultural diversity and physical fitness.”
For some unknown reason, the release omitted the part about training in roadside rectal and vaginal cavity searches …
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/media_and_communications/pr121912.htm
25You CAN”T make this stuff up….Jeez!
26Stories like this one are the reason I fully support the secessionist movement within the state of Texas. And just as soon as they leave the union, I propose we build that electrified fence along that state’s NORTHERN border so that none of them migrate.
Like I keep telling people here in the Volunteer State: If it weren’t for Tennessee, there never would have been a Texas. And we should never stop apologizing for that fact.
(heavy sigh… and I apologize for the levity. I realize this is nothing more than roadside rape, and nothing they were searching for was worth what they were putting those kids through. I hope they own half the state before it’s over)
27It’s nearly impossible to believe this really happened. Really?!? Two young women were sexually abused in full sight of everyone. They smelled pot? Again, really?!? I’m embarrassed to admit this to JJ’s clientele, but I’m a long-time smoker. My house, no matter how hard I try, sometimes smells like a pool hall. My husband quit that nasty stuff years ago, but the smell is always there. Your clothes, your hair, everywhere. I wish these young ladies well — go ahead, bankrupt those SOB’s — let Texas secede with no money, and yes, build a big old fence around it.
28PLEASE keep us informed on how this proceeds. I soooo want to see that “officer” punished in some way.
29I sort of stayed away from the news for a couple of days. This morning I read on the NBC news on-line website, that this woman has been “suspended……. with pay.” for this incident.
So, Texas not only has the privilege of going through the embarrassment caused by this idiot, we also have the privilege of paying her salary during her suspension.
I hope these two ladies sue her, individually along with whomever else they can.
The idiot woman should have been fired. I cannot think on even ONE reason why a person who has this type of mentality should serve in any law enforcement agency, in any capacity.
30What would one expect while living in a state where it’s governor is Rootin’ Tootin’ Coyote Shootin’ Rick Perry?
31This whole ‘I smell weed’ stuff is just crapola. And it goes on all over the country. LEO’s here in Florida can smell weed from 50 yards, giving them the excuse to search a house or back yard for a ‘grow’. I suggest the LEOs be trained like the sniffer dogs and be certified sniffers. Otherwise, it’s all bunk.
Prohibition NEVER works.
32I haven’t seen a press release on this yet, here at DPS. My take is we’ve either got a bad apple (or three), which Director McCraw will discover during his investigation (during which the trooper(s) is suspended) and the trooper(s) will be fired, or there’s something going on here that DPS hasn’t released yet.
If the search was justified, and the trooper showed bad procedure in not changing gloves, not changing venue for the search, and not getting consent for the search, then reprimands, at minimum, with retraining would most likely be in order.
Just my take. Not official policy. But the Director does not put up with endangering the public.
33Susan, a reprimand? Isn’t that a little harsh? Think of the embarrassment that could cause the troopers’ children!
The troopers didn’t even plant some of their stash in her car and bust her for it. Can’t the director just send her on a vacation to Aruba until that pothead calms down?
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