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Supreme Court decision may pave way to reopen strip-search case
Lawyer: Toronto case could be good news for Halifax women searched at rave

By RACHEL BOOMER
The Daily News


Saturday, December 08, 2001



Police strip-searched rave workers Aleashia Stanley (left) and Aimee Kindervater in January 2000. (FILE PHOTO)


Two young Halifax women who were strip-searched at a Halifax rave nearly a year ago might have a shot at reopening their complaint against local cops, thanks to the country’s top court.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled police had no automatic right to strip-search a Toronto drug dealer who was hiding cocaine in his buttocks, even though they had watched two drug transactions before arresting him.

The 5-4 decision may be good news for Aimee Kindervater and Aleashia Stanley, rave workers who were strip-searched last year.

The two lost a complaint to the Nova Scotia Police Commission in October. But their lawyer, Walter Thompson, said the Supreme Court of Canada’s new decision may give him grounds to have that decision overturned.

“Aleashia and Aimee were just working the joint when the police arrived. Here’s a guy and they’ve all but got him cold, with cocaine, and the Supreme Court of Canada is saying ‘No,’” Thompson said.

“To me, it just shows how completely the police commission missed the boat.”

Stanley, then 17, and Kindervater, then 23, were working at a Maitland Street dance club called The Underground on Jan. 29, 2000, when police arrived with a tip that the building’s owner had hidden drugs in the ceiling tiles.

They were among several women asked to remove jackets, pants, shoes and underwear in a washroom as police searched them for drugs. No charges were ever laid.

Thompson said police arguably had more right to strip-search Golden than Kindervater and Stanley, who were searched as part of a search warrant rather than being specifically arrested.

He said he’ll have to talk to the two women to see if they want him to take their complaint to the Nova Scotia Supreme Court.

It may be that the top-court decision will ensure no one in Kindervater and Stanley’s place will face a similar search in the future, Thompson said.

Halifax Regional Police will look for a legal opinion on what proper procedure for strip searches should be, said spokeswoman Sgt. Brenda Zima.

“We really don’t know how it’s going to affect us,” Zima said.

“We have to look at the decision thoroughly, look at every piece of it.”

© Copyright2001 The Daily News

HardcoreFever

thanx for the info. on your rights Frolic....

now this is what i'm talkin' about cuz in my town if i'm just walking home from work which is 15 min.s away, while i'm wearing an ecKo sweater or somethin', what gives them F'n'Cops the right to even ask me for i.d. if they don't even got anything to be searching me 4.
Now that's a waste of my time, & probably theirs too.

SpLiff...

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Commander Keen

I was reading a phamplet on how to deal with cops..

and as far as I understand, they can ask you for id, but you are not legally obligated to show id.. you're better off just co-operating with the cops, but if you don't want to, state out loud and clearly that you do not consent to showing id.. and if they insist and even try to force you to show id, show them, but again, reiterate that you do not consent.

the cops are not allowed to do random searches and id checks.

remember its better off to work with the cops.. if you have nothing to hide, just show them, and be polite.. its better to be civil and be on your way within a minute or so, than to aggrivate them and be hassled just because you want to exercise your rights

anabolic frolic

Cops are trained in getting you to cooperate with them despite what may or may not be against your rights. Plus it's also tough to tell a cop No as they can be very intimidating. It's a tough situation. I'm sure those girls who were strip searched didn't cooperate of their own free will.

Saber

Wow, surprised more hasn't been made out of this case. Since the stupid sept 11 bombings and the concern for security, how wonder how many people get stripped through airport security.

My opinion is that those cops that did that should be charged and SUED!! holy cow, just forcing everyone to get naked.

I agree, cops are intimidating. I've had my fair share of discussion with the police, followed by sitting in the squad car for a while and bs like that, they almost always get their way, unless it's in like a movie where they are stereotyped.

anyways,

Peace Out but F**K the police!

hehe, I respect them sorta. they're usually cool about stuff too like drug charges against something like marijuana.

luv those cops specially the PDOs

Blackbird

Intresting choice of words....

Everybodies_Daddy

Don't come down on all cops because of one incident. Yes, there are bad apples everywhere, but some people don't do to well weilding authority. Cops are just trying to do their job, and if something ever were to happen to you (like getting robbed) you wouldn't be thinking the same way.

They've got one of the toughest jobs in the world...

Not that I agree with strip searches- that's just ignorant. Unless a hot chick cop is strip searching me... then that's cool.

MCED

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