Kate's Story: Arrested for a Crime She Didn't Commit

Personal Stories

Kate went to a city office to take a civil service test. Two days later, two police officers came to her house and arrested her for stealing a car. They told her that a car had been stolen at about the time she was at the city office. She had been identified as being in the area at the time. She insisted that she did not steal the car, but was told to appear in a lineup nonetheless. Unfortunately, she was identified by a witness and was taken to the women's jail. After spending the night in jail, she was released after contacting an attorney and the case against her was dropped.

She considered filing suit against the city and asked for her police report, but the police department refused to give it to her. She contacted us and we were able to send her a form letter to request the release of public records from a government agency. Thirty days after she sent her letter, she received her police report.

 

Kate's name has been changed to protect her privacy.