Opinion ID: 147967
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sonia's Arrest

Text: Plaintiff Sonia also was arrested and claims his arrest violated his constitutional rights. Sonia walked out of Wal-Mart around 9:10 p.m. and noticed the STAC team conducting an undercover drug bust. Police Investigator Hudson, the agent in charge of the undercover drug buy, believed that the arrested drug suspects' supplier would be nearby. Sonia was standing near Brown's car when Defendant Norris told Brown to get out of the car. Brown instructed Plaintiff Sonia to record what Defendant Norris was doing to her. Sonia complied by recording three 10-second video clips on his mobile phone. Investigator Hudson approached Sonia and requested the phone. Sonia told Hudson that he could not have his phone. Hudson then told Sonia he was under arrest and handcuffed him. Sonia asked why he was under arrest, and Hudson replied that Sonia had yelled in the parking lot, which Sonia denies. [8] Hudson took Sonia's phone during the arrest. Sonia does not dispute that Investigator Hudson was the one who told Sonia he was under arrest and that Hudson handcuffed Sonia. Travis Jones testified that, prior to Sonia's arrest, he saw Norris point at Sonia and say, Arrest him, too. Sonia heard Norris state that both Sonia and Brown were going to jail[.] Sonia also testified, however, that he did not have any information suggesting that Norris knew at the time of the arrest that Sonia was being arrested. Defendants Norris and Anderson both deny involvement in the decision to arrest Plaintiff Sonia. Norris contends he was focused on arresting Brown and was unaware of what was said between Sonia and Investigator Hudson. [9] Defendant Anderson testified that he was unaware of what happened between Sonia and Investigator Hudson. [10] Neither Defendants Norris nor Anderson were supervisors at the time of Sonia's arrest. The record evidence does not reflect that Norris or Anderson had authority to direct the actions of Investigator Hudson, who made the arrest of Sonia. Plaintiff Sonia claims Norris, Anderson, or Hudson deleted video evidence from his cell phone after it was taken during the arrest. Neither Defendants Norris nor Anderson took Sonia's cell phone from him at the scene; however, Sonia claims he witnessed Defendant Norris eventually obtain possession of his cell phone. When Investigator Hudson returned Sonia's cell phone to him the next day, two of the three video clips that Sonia had recorded of Brown's arrest were gone. Sonia testified, I don't know who deleted it but I know when I got the phone back I only had one video. Investigator Hudson denies deleting, or even knowing of, any video clips. Plaintiff Sonia was arrested and transported to jail. Investigator Hudson was the only officer who physically arrested and handcuffed Sonia at the Walmart parking lot. Once at the jail, however, Defendant Norris was the only officer present during Sonia's booking, and he completed the paperwork. Norris initially [] wrote harassment as the charge against Sonia but changed the charge to disorderly conduct. Both Investigator Hudson and Norris are listed as arresting officers on the Alabama Uniform Arrest Report (the Report) relating to Sonia's arrest. Investigator Hudson signed the criminal complaint against Sonia and was listed as the complainant on the warrant for Sonia's arrest. The disorderly conduct charge against Sonia was nolle prossed two months after Sonia's arrest.