On April 16, a jury sided with two state troopers accused of humiliating a man during what he called an “unreasonable” traffic stop. In 2009, troopers Damian Conner and Dana House stopped Jeremy Lyles for a moving violation. The troopers smelled marijuana, so they searched Lyles and his vehicle. No drugs were found. Lyles claimed that the troopers made him take down his pants by the roadside during the search. He said the incident was extremely embarrassing, and his mother and girlfriend testified that he was severely traumatized and never went out socially anymore. Lyles sued the troopers for more than $50,000, alleging they violated his constitutional rights by conducting an unreasonable search of his person without probable cause. The troopers denied making Lyles drop his pants. They also argued that, just before the traffic stop, Lyles had been seen leaving an office that was suspected of being a front for drug sales.
Lyles v. Conner, et al., No. 6:09-CV-77
