ACLU attorneys filed this lawsuit against the City of Trinidad on behalf of two innocent women who were falsely arrested and prosecuted as part of a highly-publicized “drug sting” in December, 2013.
According to the suit, Trinidad detectives relied on unsubstantiated accusations made by an untrustworthy confidential informant while ignoring readily available evidence that clearly demonstrated that ACLU clients Danika Gonzales and Felicia Valdez were innocent. Both ACLU clients lost their jobs as a result of the false arrests, and Valdez and her children were evicted from their federally-subsidized housing.
The lawsuit asserts that these unjustified false arrests are part of the Trinidad Police Department’s “custom, policy, and/or practice of conducting undercover stings” that violate the U.S. Constitution.
Overall, 40 individuals were arrested during Trinidad’s 2013 “drug sting,” many on the basis of false, deficient, and misleading arrest affidavits, according to the ACLU complaint. None of the 40 arrests resulted in a drug-related conviction.
The ACLU lawsuit charges that Trinidad detectives sought arrest warrants based on a confidential informant's uncorroborated accusations while deliberately concealing from the judge a wealth of facts the detectives knew would cast doubt on the informant's credibility and motives. In addition, the ACLU charges that the detectives laced the arrest affidavits with false and misleading assertions designed to manufacture probable cause for arrest.
A negotiated settlement provided substantial compensation for the ACLU's clients.
ACLU Press Releases:
- "ACLU lawsuit: Trinidad liable for false arrest, malicious prosecution, in undercover drug sting," ACLU News Release, January 8, 2015
- "ACLU wins $375K for victims of wrongful arrest in Trinidad," ACLU News Release, October 20, 2016
Media:
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“The Snitch Who Stole Christmas: How Trinidad's War on Drugs Attacked the Innocent,” Alan Prendergast, Westword, November 26, 2014
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“ACLU Sues Trinidad, Cops for False Arrests in Drug-Sting Fiasco,” Alan Prendergast, Westword, January 8, 2015
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“ACLU files lawsuit against Trinidad, two detectives in drug arrests,” Colorado Public Radio, January 8, 2015
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“Women wrongfully arrested in drug sting are suing Trinidad police,” The Denver Post, January 8, 2015
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"How police reliance on confidential informants in Colorado carries risk,” The Denver Post, April 17, 2015
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“Another Lawsuit Targets Trinidad Over the Snitch Who Stole Christmas,” Alan Prendergast, Westword, December 2, 2015
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“Trinidad Pays $375K to ACLU, Two Women Falsely Arrested in Drug-Bust Fiasco,” Alan Prendergast, Westword, October 20, 2016
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“Trinidad to pay $775,000 to settle lawsuits alleging city police relied on faulty informant for drug arrests,” The Denver Post, October 20, 2016
