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posted by martyb on Friday July 29 2016, @08:38PM   Printer-friendly
from the and-many-other-things dept.

SovereignMan.com has an article regarding a woman's interaction with US Customs and Border Protection:

According to the published case files, she was frisked, and then ordered to squat so that a drug-sniffing dog could check out her nether regions.

Apparently the dog liked what he smelled, because Ms. Doe was then taken to yet another room, ordered to pull down her pants, and crouch.

At that point an agent from Customs and Border Protection "inspected her anus with a flashlight."

She was then ordered to lean backwards in a crouched position, after which another agent inserted a speculum into her vagina to search for drugs.

Another agent then "parted Ms. Doe's vulva with her hand, pressed her fingers into Ms. Doe's vagina, and visually examined her genitalia with a flashlight."

They then took her to a hospital for a further 6 hours of involuntary testing, which included forcing her to have a bowel movement as they all watched, plus X-rays, CT scans, and more.

[...] Ms. Doe was "brutally probed against her will" for hours and hours without judicial oversight, due process, or even reasonable suspicion. And they found nothing.

[...] They told her that if she signed a consent form, retroactively giving her permission to be abused and violated, that the government would pay for all the tests and various medical expenses.

But if she didn't sign the consent form, she'd have to pay for them all herself.

Ms. Doe refused to sign, and the United States government sent her a bill for more than $5,000, essentially demanding that she pay for her own sexual assault.

Emotionally shattered she went home feeling like a rape victim. She sued.

[...] Finally, as of a few days ago, the case has been settled. And the US government agreed to pay Ms. Doe $475,000.


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  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by jdavidb on Friday July 29 2016, @08:44PM

    by jdavidb (5690) on Friday July 29 2016, @08:44PM (#381718) Homepage Journal

    How terrible for this poor woman.

    One of my first thoughts turns out to be mentioned in the original article: "Just think about that: YOUR tax money is going to pay off the US government’s sexual assault victims."

    --
    ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by jdavidb on Friday July 29 2016, @08:45PM

      by jdavidb (5690) on Friday July 29 2016, @08:45PM (#381720) Homepage Journal
      And one of my second thoughts is in there, too: "Gun-toting government thugs are running around committing sexual assault on US citizens so they can continue waging a costly and utterly ridiculous war on plants."
      --
      ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
      • (Score: 3, Interesting) by nitehawk214 on Friday July 29 2016, @09:02PM

        by nitehawk214 (1304) on Friday July 29 2016, @09:02PM (#381730)

        "War on plants." Kind of reminds me of this quote: "I am not a vegetarian because I am against eating animals. I am a vegetarian because I hate vegetables so much."

        --
        "Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
        • (Score: 5, Funny) by driverless on Saturday July 30 2016, @05:20AM

          by driverless (4770) on Saturday July 30 2016, @05:20AM (#381885)

          You know, that reminds me of a quote too.

          Thanks. I enjoyed being reminded of that quote.

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by memememe on Friday July 29 2016, @09:05PM

        by memememe (3483) on Friday July 29 2016, @09:05PM (#381733)

        Yeah, because this behaviour would be way more acceptable towards citizens of any other nationality. USA! USA!

        • (Score: 2) by jdavidb on Friday July 29 2016, @09:22PM

          by jdavidb (5690) on Friday July 29 2016, @09:22PM (#381742) Homepage Journal
          +1 Agree
          --
          ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
        • (Score: 2) by jdavidb on Friday July 29 2016, @10:17PM

          by jdavidb (5690) on Friday July 29 2016, @10:17PM (#381774) Homepage Journal

          Yeah, because this behaviour would be way more acceptable towards citizens of any other nationality. USA! USA!

          When people say USA Citizens' Lives Matter, it doesn’t mean foreign lives don’t matter, it just means all lives matter ;)

          --
          ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
        • (Score: 2) by Bot on Saturday July 30 2016, @12:39AM

          by Bot (3902) on Saturday July 30 2016, @12:39AM (#381816) Journal

          Not more acceptable, but more obvious.
          Of course my personal rationalization is that there is only one government, so all negative actions by governments worldwide are always against their own citizens.

          --
          Account abandoned.
      • (Score: 4, Insightful) by Francis on Saturday July 30 2016, @02:52AM

        by Francis (5544) on Saturday July 30 2016, @02:52AM (#381861)

        You make it sound like the war on drugs is the only reason why gun-toting thugs go around sexually assaulting people.

        It's got nothing to do with drugs and everything to do with the prison and the military-industrial complexes. They regularly pull this kind of crap over far less at the airport, the only difference is that it's less obviously wrong so people tend not to speak out. Also, I'm pretty sure anybody that's caught speaking out about it winds up on some sort of a list.

        • (Score: 2) by jdavidb on Saturday July 30 2016, @01:18PM

          by jdavidb (5690) on Saturday July 30 2016, @01:18PM (#381946) Homepage Journal
          The war on drugs and the prison and military industrial complex are all part of the same beast.
          --
          ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
          • (Score: 1) by Francis on Saturday July 30 2016, @02:05PM

            by Francis (5544) on Saturday July 30 2016, @02:05PM (#381954)

            That's my point. It doesn't logically follow that we need to legalized drugs to remedy the situation. We could either decriminalize the drugs or turn to a model where it's just the manufacture and distribution that's criminal, not the possession and use. Fixing campaign financing and removing the profit motive from the prison system would also likely go a long way towards solving it.

            But, sadly, there's not a whole lot of interest in talking about those possibilities.

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by TheReaperD on Saturday July 30 2016, @10:17AM

        by TheReaperD (5556) on Saturday July 30 2016, @10:17AM (#381925)

        It's not a "war on plants" it's a war to protect corporate profits in the pharmaceutical, lumber and cotton industries.

        --
        Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit
      • (Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Saturday July 30 2016, @09:36PM

        by Hairyfeet (75) <bassbeast1968NO@SPAMgmail.com> on Saturday July 30 2016, @09:36PM (#382067) Journal

        Actually its a "war for corporate profits of big pharma" as they released a study recently on the effect of legal pot on big pharma...wanna guess what they found? 300% fewer anti-anxiety drugs prescribed, 200% fewer anti nausea drugs prescribed and a whopping 1750% fewer pain meds prescribed!

        So it doesn't have diddle shit to do with plants, in the USSA fascist oligarchy its ALWAYS down to corporate profits and in this case the 3 biggest contributors of PACs against legalizing drugs? For profit prisons, police unions, and the biggest by a huge margin? That's right...big pharma, who doesn't want anybody cutting in on their executive drug dealing monopoly.

        --
        ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
    • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @09:16PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @09:16PM (#381738)

      You are overlooking the obvious benefit to those with little sense of shame.

      1. Smear Krispy Kreme around your nether regions.
      2. Eat a box of Ex-Lax to really put on a show (RIP GG).
      3. Go to a border outpost expecting some dubious attention.
      4. PROFIT!

      The government has just set up an instant retirement nestegg for those willing to endure the debasement of corporate life all upfront instead of stretched out over 40 years!

      Hell, I'd shove Pokeballs up my ass with miniature Bill of Rights inside just to troll them.

    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Mr Big in the Pants on Friday July 29 2016, @09:28PM

      by Mr Big in the Pants (4956) on Friday July 29 2016, @09:28PM (#381745)

      Are you kidding me?

      For half a million you can search all my orifices several times...with your tongue if you like.

      (yes, my tongue was in my cheek...)

      • (Score: 0, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @11:08PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @11:08PM (#381789)

        You're modded down because we're all thinking it, but you didn't have to say it.

        • (Score: 2) by Mr Big in the Pants on Friday July 29 2016, @11:52PM

          by Mr Big in the Pants (4956) on Friday July 29 2016, @11:52PM (#381801)

          I knew I would be and I didn't care.

          Some people should remove the stick in their ass.

          I am a rebel...or something.

          • (Score: 3, Funny) by Runaway1956 on Saturday July 30 2016, @12:17AM

            by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday July 30 2016, @12:17AM (#381806) Journal

            LOL - yes, you are something! And, I agree about people with sticks in their asses. Don't they realize that they look goofy as hell walking like that?

            • (Score: 2) by Mr Big in the Pants on Saturday July 30 2016, @02:20AM

              by Mr Big in the Pants (4956) on Saturday July 30 2016, @02:20AM (#381853)

              One of my ideas is to pass a law that states:

              "Those people found by a court of law to have a metaphorical stick (anally inserted) should be sentenced to having it made a reality."

              Lube and stick provided at their expense...since that seems to be how things are done nowadays.

          • (Score: 3, Funny) by Gaaark on Saturday July 30 2016, @02:11AM

            by Gaaark (41) on Saturday July 30 2016, @02:11AM (#381848) Journal

            I modded you up, cause I'm big in the pants too! :)

            --
            --- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
            • (Score: 2) by Mr Big in the Pants on Saturday July 30 2016, @02:18AM

              by Mr Big in the Pants (4956) on Saturday July 30 2016, @02:18AM (#381850)

              Those of us with heft should stick together.

              My favorite gag is to use the urinal on each side of some poor chap and unleash. Then soon after just snigger randomly.

              Ahhh....and much fun is had by all.

            • (Score: 1, Troll) by LoRdTAW on Saturday July 30 2016, @03:53PM

              by LoRdTAW (3755) on Saturday July 30 2016, @03:53PM (#381972) Journal

              Big in the pants eh? I recommend basic exercise and healthy eating. After you drop a few pants sizes, you and the GP will feel much better both physically and mentally.

    • (Score: 5, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @10:43PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @10:43PM (#381781)

      I would much rather my money went to compensate the victim than to employ the people harassing her.

      • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @11:58PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @11:58PM (#381802)

        How about both!

      • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Bogsnoticus on Saturday July 30 2016, @01:19AM

        by Bogsnoticus (3982) on Saturday July 30 2016, @01:19AM (#381826)

        I'm sure I speak for many when I say that the money should have been spent on hiring people with at least half a brain, so this shit wouldn't have happened in the first place.

        --
        Genius by birth. Evil by choice.
      • (Score: 2) by jdavidb on Saturday July 30 2016, @01:32AM

        by jdavidb (5690) on Saturday July 30 2016, @01:32AM (#381832) Homepage Journal
        Me too, when you put it that way.
        --
        ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
  • (Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @08:53PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @08:53PM (#381724)

    JAIL TIME!

    Done.

    • (Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Friday July 29 2016, @09:04PM

      by nitehawk214 (1304) on Friday July 29 2016, @09:04PM (#381732)

      Unfortunately, this will be interpreted as locking up the woman for daring not to consent to a search.

      --
      "Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
    • (Score: 2) by bob_super on Friday July 29 2016, @09:19PM

      by bob_super (1357) on Friday July 29 2016, @09:19PM (#381739)

      "The officer was just doing the job, in good faith, and should not be personally liable, your honor"...

      I am really tempted to earn a Godwin point.

      • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @09:55PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @09:55PM (#381761)

        "The officer was just doing the job, in good faith, and should not be personally liable, your honor"...

        I am really tempted to earn a Godwin point.

        I'll do it for you. [wikipedia.org] This really pisses me off.

  • (Score: 5, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @08:55PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @08:55PM (#381725)

    "Emotionally shattered she went home feeling like a rape victim."

    "Feeling", my ass. She was raped. Just because there was no penis involved doesn't make it not rape. (Although there were lots and lots of dicks, I mean agents and doctors.)

    Of course, none of the rapists involved are going to jail for it. If government agents were held accountable, I dunno, the terrorist win or something.

    • (Score: 3, Informative) by driven on Friday July 29 2016, @11:28PM

      by driven (6295) on Friday July 29 2016, @11:28PM (#381796)

      It gets worse:

      But as you can imagine, there were strings attached, specifically that the settlement should “not be taken as an admission of liability or fault.”

      • (Score: 1) by Francis on Saturday July 30 2016, @02:56AM

        by Francis (5544) on Saturday July 30 2016, @02:56AM (#381862)

        I'm pretty sure that even if you do sign a settlement like that that future cases will see that there was a settlement and use it in that fashion. That clause is rather toothless as the people who signed it are unlikely to want to use it in the future as evidence of guilt. It's the other people filing suit against officers that get unconstitutionally handsie that are going to try and get it entered into evidence.

  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Dale on Friday July 29 2016, @08:57PM

    by Dale (539) Subscriber Badge on Friday July 29 2016, @08:57PM (#381727)

    I'd also file medical complaints against every person even loosely associated with any interaction at the hospital. If doctors/nurses start getting penalized by their licensing board and/or losing their licenses then this stuff would stop real quick.

    • (Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @09:28PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @09:28PM (#381744)

      I'd also file medical complaints against every person even loosely associated with any interaction at the hospital. If doctors/nurses start getting penalized by their licensing board and/or losing their licenses then this stuff would stop real quick.

      Yeah, I was thinking much the same thing. I'm shocked that any doctors or nurses would willingly participate in this sham. Not only should they be facing criminal charges for sexual assault but they most definitely need to lose their licenses to practice medicine. Also, why would the hospital even allow this to be done on their premises? The hospital needs to be put under new management; fire every last person that had a hand in this.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @11:26PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @11:26PM (#381794)

        i doubt the doctors and nurses were willing participants. they were likely orders by the government officials, and everyone knows if you don't follow instructions of government officials you're a terrorist

      • (Score: 5, Informative) by sjames on Friday July 29 2016, @11:27PM

        by sjames (2882) on Friday July 29 2016, @11:27PM (#381795) Journal

        Indeed, performing procedures they know are not in the patient's interest and against patient consent are cardinal sins (and crimes) in the medical profession. They should be expelled from it as a result. Perhaps after considerable ethical re-training they could re-apply.

        As for the customs people, they have proven unable to handle any form of authority over others. Perhaps they are more suited to manual labor or clerical work (though, only the lowest levels of the latter, no power to approve or deny anything).

        • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @12:34AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @12:34AM (#381814)

          They should be expelled from it as a result. Perhaps after considerable ethical re-training they could re-apply.

          Actually, no, they shouldn't. There are some violations of the Hippocratic oath that are so egregious that it should permanently bar them from the medical profession.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @06:05PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @06:05PM (#382004)

          ohh, yeah right. that's just about all doctors do these days is cause harm for profit.

      • (Score: 3, Informative) by driverless on Saturday July 30 2016, @05:25AM

        by driverless (4770) on Saturday July 30 2016, @05:25AM (#381887)

        I'm shocked that any doctors or nurses would willingly participate in this sham.

        Oath Betrayed: Torture, Medical Complicity, and the War on Terror [nih.gov].

    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by TheGratefulNet on Friday July 29 2016, @10:01PM

      by TheGratefulNet (659) on Friday July 29 2016, @10:01PM (#381766)

      if that happened to me, once I collected my wits, out be out for nothing less than scorched earth in anyone/thing/place involved.

      I'd make it my life mission, using all my income possible, to make everyone's life a living hell. legally, of course.

      you came at me like that, you just made a terrorist. this is what makes normal people flip. and we seem to not even realize it or care.

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
  • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @08:58PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @08:58PM (#381728)

    She should have gone for a billion.

    THANKS OBAMA!!!

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @11:13PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @11:13PM (#381791)

      Seriously, you think she should have settled for 500k? That's barely a down payment for a SF apartment. For real? She should have fucked the Fed over.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @12:33AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @12:33AM (#381813)

        Besides that, her lawyer gets half.

        • (Score: 2) by jdavidb on Saturday July 30 2016, @01:54AM

          by jdavidb (5690) on Saturday July 30 2016, @01:54AM (#381838) Homepage Journal
          And the other half will go to taxes. :(
          --
          ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @09:06PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @09:06PM (#381735)
    They wanted to charge her for "medical" examinations that they forced on her, which had no medical justification and no benefit to her? That's just plain sick. It's similar to "bullet fees" [wikipedia.org]: the practice of charging the family of an executed prisoner for the bullets used to kill them.

    A whole line of people need to lose their jobs over this.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by Anal Pumpernickel on Saturday July 30 2016, @02:06AM

      by Anal Pumpernickel (776) on Saturday July 30 2016, @02:06AM (#381845)

      A whole line of people need to go to prison for this. This is rape.

      • (Score: 1) by Francis on Saturday July 30 2016, @03:59AM

        by Francis (5544) on Saturday July 30 2016, @03:59AM (#381873)

        Calling it rape is being rather generous. It's whatever is worse than rape. This wasn't some random skeezy person at a party, or a shady character hiding in an alley, these were medical personnel and law enforcement officers. I'm not sure how much worse it can get than that.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @06:05AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @06:05AM (#381891)

          Gang raped at the hands of the police state. How about we call it... Korean rape?

        • (Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday July 30 2016, @09:00PM

          by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Saturday July 30 2016, @09:00PM (#382050) Journal
          Calling it rape is an insult to actual victims of rape. I note, for example, no chance of injury, venereal disease, or pregnancy which are common concerns with rape victims. We can see that this is a crime without the puffery.
          • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday July 31 2016, @01:39AM

            by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Sunday July 31 2016, @01:39AM (#382129) Journal

            Dismissing any chance of injury or disease is to dismiss the possibility of malpractice, incompetence, carelessness, or simple mistakes. I'll grant that these weren't complicated procedures, they weren't major surgury, but still, any time your body is invaded by foreign objects, there is a chance of infection.

            Pregnancey is out - unless, of course, a lecherous TSA employee is left to guard the victim alone. In this case, it seems that all male personnel involved kept their penises in their pants. In another, similar case, that may not happen. Let us remember that rape is generally regarded as a crime of violence, rather than sex. The rapist already has the victim naked and helpless - it's only a small step from there to insert a penis, along with the risk of injury, disease, and pregnancy.

            OK - now I've argued against your poiont. Now let me argue FOR your point. The word "rape" is often inadequate to describe what happens to a female at the hands of a male. The same word is used to describe a brutal beating, rape, and murder by a strange abductor. The same word is used to describe an overenthusiastic lover who pushes things along a little to quickly. It is also used to describe consensual sex between an 18 year old male, and a 17 year, 11 month, and twenty day old female when her parents don't approve of the relationship.

            Oftentimes, our language is simply inadequate. To make matters worse, people often use the language to exaggerate what has actually happened.

            • (Score: 1) by Francis on Sunday July 31 2016, @02:03AM

              by Francis (5544) on Sunday July 31 2016, @02:03AM (#382135)

              It's probably 6 of one and half-dozen of the other, there's probably less chance of pregnancy or disease, but when law enforcement does it, that carries with it a ton of baggage. I've known women that were raped and the risk there is generally sorted out pretty quickly. Within a matter of weeks you know whether or not you've contracted something in most cases and pregnancy is something that would be known usually within a month.

              But, the law enforcement abuse is something that's there permanently. I'd probably be hesitant to ever go to the police for help again if I were abused to that degree. I think most people would as well.

            • (Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday July 31 2016, @02:31AM

              by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Sunday July 31 2016, @02:31AM (#382143) Journal

              it's only a small step from there to insert a penis

              No more than killing someone is a small step of a little pressure of the finger on a trigger or pushing a knife a few inches. Some things aren't "small steps" no matter how little effort it takes.

          • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Francis on Sunday July 31 2016, @02:00AM

            by Francis (5544) on Sunday July 31 2016, @02:00AM (#382133)

            You're a thoroughly rotten human being, aren't you?

            Rape is rape and it's rather ridiculous to diminish her pain like that. She's not any less sexually assaulted because law enforcement abused its authority to force her to be penetrated against her will.

            • (Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday July 31 2016, @02:59AM

              by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Sunday July 31 2016, @02:59AM (#382148) Journal

              You're a thoroughly rotten human being, aren't you?

              Look who's talking. Words mean things. Sexual assault != rape and clinical inspection of female genitalia need not be sexual assault (it depends on whether they met the required level of probable cause or not as well as the procedures of the inspection - I think not in this case).

              Further, there are real cases of rape by the state and those are far blacker crimes than what happened here. Equating lesser crimes with rape diminishes the pain of real victims of rape.

              One final thing that is missed here is why did law enforcement look so damn hard? I bet they had inside information on criminal activity, which may have been acquired via illegal means. We may be looking at a desperate attempt to establish parallel construction for an existing operation that already costed well over half a million dollars. In which case, it is unlikely that the occasional threat of half a million fines will deter law enforcement from such intrusive inspections. They have more than that riding on securing a bust.

    • (Score: 2) by chewbacon on Sunday July 31 2016, @02:09AM

      by chewbacon (1032) on Sunday July 31 2016, @02:09AM (#382138)

      Yeah, it is interesting if I touch a patient without consent, I go to jail and they may very well not be charged a dime for the care.

  • (Score: 1) by mobydisk on Friday July 29 2016, @09:11PM

    by mobydisk (5472) on Friday July 29 2016, @09:11PM (#381737)

    Searching for some of the names in the suit, it turns out the settlement happened in 2014. [lubbockonline.com]

    • (Score: 5, Informative) by n1 on Friday July 29 2016, @09:30PM

      by n1 (993) on Friday July 29 2016, @09:30PM (#381746) Journal

      According to the link you offer, that was her case against the hospital. This article and settlement is around the involvement of U.S. Customs and Border Protection specifically.

      https://www.aclutx.org/en/press-releases/cbp-settles-lawsuit-aclu-client-who-endured-invasive-cavity-searches [aclutx.org]

      Today, the ACLU of Texas and the ACLU of New Mexico announced a record settlement in which U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) paid a New Mexico woman $475,000 for illegally subjecting her to vaginal and anal searches after she was detained at the Cordova Bridge point of entry in El Paso.

      Also today, the four ACLU affiliates at the nation’s Southwest border dispatched letters to 40 healthcare providers that cover 110 facilities — from San Diego to Houston—detailing the rights and responsibilities of hospital personnel when confronted by federal agents who request they perform invasive and illegal body cavity searches. Last year the University Medical Center of El Paso paid the same woman — referred to in the lawsuit as Jane Doe to protect her privacy — a $1.1 million settlement for its collusion in the invasive searches.

      • (Score: 1) by Francis on Saturday July 30 2016, @02:59AM

        by Francis (5544) on Saturday July 30 2016, @02:59AM (#381864)

        I'm surprised they settled as that's in that unconstitutional-constitution-free zone that the balls on the SCrOTUmS decided to invent while being true to the exact wording of the constitution.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @09:32PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @09:32PM (#381747)

      Lubbock Online:
      "A West Texas hospital is settling a lawsuit with a woman [...] Court records show the border protection agency is not part of the settlement."

      Sovereign Man:
      "Finally, as of a few days ago, the case has been settled. And the US government agreed to pay Ms. Doe $475,000."

      The date mentioned in the court filing matches, so this does seem to be the same event. After a look at https://www.sovereignman.com/start-here/ [sovereignman.com] I've decided that Lubbock Online is lying to us, as per usual for the MSM.

    • (Score: 5, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @09:36PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @09:36PM (#381750)

      From the link in your comment:

      The lawsuit states a medical center employee told the woman that procedures such as the ones performed on her were routinely performed on people brought by border agents.

      What I find truly frightening is that this was apparently not a one-off bad decision that got out of hand, but something which they do routinely. What. The. Hell. ?????

      • (Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @12:02AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @12:02AM (#381804)

        People attempt to cross the U.S.-Mexico border almost every day. Roughly half of them have vaginas.

  • (Score: 2) by edIII on Friday July 29 2016, @09:36PM

    by edIII (791) on Friday July 29 2016, @09:36PM (#381751)

    Apparently the dog liked what he smelled, because Ms. Doe was then taken to yet another room, ordered to pull down her pants, and crouch.

    So the dog determined probable cause because it like the butt. Well, I'm going to be reasonable for once, and wait for his expert testimony in court before deciding if the dog was full of it and just wanted to sniff her butt. That would be racist to imply the dog had anything but pure dedication to law enforcement while burying his face in her crotch. Clearly she was an ISIS sympathizer with a home-grown snuke.

    --
    Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
    • (Score: 4, Informative) by CirclesInSand on Friday July 29 2016, @10:00PM

      by CirclesInSand (2899) on Friday July 29 2016, @10:00PM (#381763)

      Police dogs are all a lie anyway. They are not trained to find anything. They are trained to give the police an excuse to avoid a warrant.

      Do you think independent 3rd parties do regular tests of the dogs to ensure that they can actually deliver their promise of finding drugs? Not a chance. It's very simple: trainer pulls on the leash, dog does his thing (sitting or whatever), trainer pretends to have found drugs. That's all there is to it.

      If you are ever on a jury, throw out any evidence obtained where police dogs are involved, even circumstantially. It's all crooked as hell.

      • (Score: 5, Informative) by Runaway1956 on Saturday July 30 2016, @12:31AM

        by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday July 30 2016, @12:31AM (#381811) Journal

        You are exactly right. My youngest son experienced this very thing in a traffic stop incident. Cop wanted to search, the kid says "Get a warrant", cop says, "We can get a dog out here" son says "Get your dog". Dog follows the handler around the car three times, without alerting on anything. Handler looks at the cop who stopped the son, cop nods at the handler, handler reaches into his pocket and pulls out a ball. Bounces the ball in a manner that the ball hits the car door, and the dog lunges to catch the ball. "Oh, the dog found something!"

        My son laughed at the dumbass cops when they found nothing at all, and asked if they thought he was stupid. "What do you mean?" "Your dog didn't alert, you made him do what he did." "No, we don't make the dog do anything". "You really do think I'm stupid. I'll see you in court."

        People such as my son who have been around dogs all their lives understand dogs well enough to know. Dogs can indeed be a valuable asset, because they CAN find things that people can't. But the dogs are manipulated to give the desired results.

        But, you, the average citizen, are supposed to be both ignorant, and intimidated by the entire process.

        • (Score: 1) by Francis on Saturday July 30 2016, @06:08AM

          by Francis (5544) on Saturday July 30 2016, @06:08AM (#381892)

          Not really the right way to handle it. Bottom line is that if the cops think they have probable cause to do a search they'll do the search, there's not much point in opposing it beyond just saying no and keeping your mouth shut.

          Whether or not it is probable cause is something that ultimately gets handled in court after the fact. It's a sucky way to handle it, but we've allowed the courts to be stacked with people who care more about loopholes and minutia than right and wrong.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @09:47PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @09:47PM (#382069)

            but we've allowed the courts to be stacked with people who care more about loopholes and minutia than right and wrong.

            Right is honoring the highest law in the land, the constitution, while wrong is intimidating and otherwise tricking people into voluntarily giving up their rights or pleaing guilty to crimes they didn't commit for fear of ending up in prison for decades for a crime they didn't commit. Wrong is making it a crime to enjoy one's self-sovereignty in the first place.

    • (Score: 2) by TheGratefulNet on Friday July 29 2016, @10:03PM

      by TheGratefulNet (659) on Friday July 29 2016, @10:03PM (#381770)

      "its a dog eat dog world, out there; and today I'm wearing milkbone underwear."

      --norm from cheers (tv)

      appropriate for this topic (?)

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
  • (Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @09:49PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @09:49PM (#381757)

    This is why:

    https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights-governments-100-mile-border-zone-map [aclu.org]

    :-(

    They settled. That isn't a loss.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @10:04PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @10:04PM (#381771)

      It's unconstitutional. The courts simply do not follow the constitution, and use a modified version instead.

    • (Score: 3, Funny) by JNCF on Friday July 29 2016, @10:06PM

      by JNCF (4317) on Friday July 29 2016, @10:06PM (#381772) Journal

      I like how some states are entirely swallowed by the pretext of border protection. Stay classy, federal government.

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @05:12AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @05:12AM (#381883)

        Not only that, but it nicely covers all of the most densely populated areas.

        From the article: "Roughly two-thirds of the United States' population, about 200 million people, lives within the 100-mile zone that an outdated federal regulation defines as the border zone—that is, within 100 miles of a U.S. land or coastal border."

        So the US government actually came out and said that the constitution doesn't apply to two-thirds of the US citizens. Amazing.

        I think I've also heard of an alternative interpretation, where the constitution-free zone also extends 100 miles around international airports, which covers, uh, pretty much everyone.

  • (Score: 2) by GungnirSniper on Friday July 29 2016, @09:54PM

    by GungnirSniper (1671) on Friday July 29 2016, @09:54PM (#381759) Journal

    What was the justification for this rape by the state? That she maybe had cocaine or heroin or some other substance others voluntarily put in their bodies? Even then, what harm to "society" would have been done? Some people would get high, some would make some money, and since they are all voluntary transactions with no victims We The People should not be stopping them.

  • (Score: -1, Flamebait) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @10:32PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @10:32PM (#381779)

    The false positive was terrible, no doubt.

    But unless you are for complete legalization you may consider that the vagina, anus, mouth, and stomach are indeed used as hiding places for contraband.

    Or do you want everyone with a condomful of whatever drug to always get a free pass when they cross the border because they know they can't be cavity searched?

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by takyon on Friday July 29 2016, @11:08PM

      by takyon (881) <takyonNO@SPAMsoylentnews.org> on Friday July 29 2016, @11:08PM (#381790) Journal

      Or do you want everyone with a condomful of whatever drug to always get a free pass when they cross the border because they know they can't be cavity searched?

      Sure. Let's step back and recognize that drug harms are hardly the end of the world, and that people have rights.

      --
      [SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @11:41PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday July 29 2016, @11:41PM (#381799)

        Illegal aliens now have more rights than US citizens do.

        • (Score: 3, Insightful) by jdavidb on Saturday July 30 2016, @01:56AM

          by jdavidb (5690) on Saturday July 30 2016, @01:56AM (#381839) Homepage Journal

          The solution to that is for everybody to have the same rights. Sure, your government may be more personally invested in protecting your rights than the rights of those who are not its citizens. But nothing is rectified by taking away the rights of other people.

          I'm of course not talking about "rights" that come at the expense of the rights of others.

          --
          ⓋⒶ☮✝🕊 Secession is the right of all sentient beings
  • (Score: 1) by butthurt on Friday July 29 2016, @11:15PM

    by butthurt (6141) on Friday July 29 2016, @11:15PM (#381792) Journal

    Not literally, of course.

  • (Score: 2) by maxwell demon on Saturday July 30 2016, @09:43AM

    by maxwell demon (1608) on Saturday July 30 2016, @09:43AM (#381918) Journal

    Well, to help government officials avoid future searches: The vagina is always between the legs.

    --
    The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @12:53PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @12:53PM (#381938)

    It's stories like this that make me glad to live in China and not the US.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @04:26PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @04:26PM (#381982)

    This, and worse, happens all the time to men but nobody gives a shit. People are up in arms only because it happened to a woman.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @06:31PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday July 30 2016, @06:31PM (#382008)

    just know that any pigs that do a cavity search on any of my relatives will be given the death penalty. same goes if you shoot a family member's dog.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2a8x8g-ELI [youtube.com]