Utah State Patrol Officer’s Fake DUI’s Causes Class Action Lawsuit
Utah State Patrol Officer’s 40+ Fake DUI Arrests Caused Utah To Pay $200,000 In A Class Action Lawsuit
I takes an especially nasty mentality to justify the wholesale disruption to peoples lives and risk to their property, just to get ahead at her job. But Ms. Lisa Steed, former Utah State Patrol Officer, manipulated her training as a cover to manufacture false evidence. However, when that wasn’t enough she resorted to libelous citations and falsified incident reports. Amazing, how easy it is to be a corrupt cop for a living, until you get caught. It took a backup car camera to rip through the deceptions. Some of the excerpts in this news video reveal not only her false arrests but her darker, violent side. That part of her criminality has not brought her punishment.
Caught on Tape: Utah Officer Lisa Steed Allegedly Fakes DUI Arrests
In 2012 the Utah Attorney General’s Office paid a settlement for $200,000.00 to cover court expenses and legal costs. Over 40 harmed drivers accept settlements.
Lisa Steed Had To Be Fired For Making False Arrests
Lisa Steed was fired in 2012 when accusations became public that she routinely falsified her incident reports and performed DUI arrests using improper practices. She arbitrarily conducted the field sobriety tests and no witnessing officer, when present, ever challenged her. She was finding her opportunities to make a false arrest by taking advantage of a driver’s inexperience with field sobriety tests and their good-natured compliance to pick victims.
Is There A Pattern Of Behavior Behind False DUI Busts?
Maybe she thought she was following her training, in which case we need a complete inventory of police practices. Or maybe she was just trying too hard to be one of the boys, impressing her fellow officers. But what explains the misuse of procedures when it takes a violent turn? Behind the police misconduct itself there is another danger to society. There are complicated and twisted state of mind issues in this person.
Deseret News reported that a Utah attorney named Robert Sykes also sought for a class action lawsuit against her, saying she had victimized 1,500 to 2,000 motorists dating back to 2006. Not just some innocent mistake DUI arrests but a widening pattern of official misconduct. A 2nd District Court judge denied his motion at the time, saying the circumstances of the thousands of stops were too widely varying to lump together into a single case. Meaning she was doing so many different bad things that it should take several class action lawsuits to bring her to justice.
Some people have mental-emotional disabilities that make them unsuitable for work involving having authority over others. Unfortunately, these potential problem officers don’t show signs until after being hired as they are lightly psych screened. This case with Lisa Steed abusing her authority is especially sad considering the time it went on. The problems with fake DUI arrests are perpetuated when other Utah officers have knowledge of her activities and do nothing. You think a guard at a jail might wonder why she kept bringing people into the drunk tank that weren’t drunk or high.
Who Is Responsible When Officers Harm Drivers?
Shared secrets mean shared accountability. When police won’t police themselves, and internal investigations rarely fruitful, the only way police departments will learn lessons that improve behavior and attitude is an expensive class action settlement. Injured persons in America still have the right to sue any entity responsible and seek cash compensation, to have a practice stopped, end a policy, or terminate the employment of criminal cops. That’s what happened to the liar behind the badge Lisa Steed.