A California lawmaker is suing Sacramento police for falsely accusing her of driving under the influence, saying the case may have been motivated by her tough-on-cops legislation or possibly because she is Latina and LGBTQ+.
State Sen. Sabrina Cervantes filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Sacramento and several police officers, alleging she was falsely arrested and subjected to an unlawful blood draw following a car crash in May of last year.
Cervantes was driving a state-owned vehicle when another driver ran a stop sign and struck her car, according to the complaint. She was taken to a hospital with injuries, while police responded to the crash scene.
“Despite being anxious after having been the victim in a serious accident, Senator Cervantes provided a clear straightforward explanation for how she drove to the curb after she was struck, despite being injured and in pain.” the lawsuit states.
Cervantes alleges officers treated her as a suspect and pursued a DUI investigation without probable cause. She claims officers questioned her extensively at the hospital while she was in pain but observed no signs of intoxication.
The lawsuit then accuses officers of seeking a warrant to draw her blood based on false statements, including claims she had slurred speech and refused testing.
Cervantes said she instead offered to provide hospital-administered chemical test results, which later showed she was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Prosecutors...
A California lawmaker is suing Sacramento police for falsely accusing her of driving under the influence, saying the case may have been motivated by her tough-on-cops legislation or possibly becaus...