WARREN Strip-search lawsuit costs city $52,000

The lawsuit was filed in August and settled two months later.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The city paid $52,000 to an insurance carrier to settle an August lawsuit filed by LaShawn Ziegler, owner of 77 Soul nightclub, and his friend, Brandon Rodgers, who contended they were illegally strip-searched by police.
Law Director Greg Hicks said Wednesday the city paid the insurance carrier $26,000 for each of the two cases.
"I'm not sure how much of that went to pay for the settlement and how much went for legal fees," Hicks said. "We just paid the bill and the insurance company took care of the rest."
Atty. Ken Myers, of Cleveland, who represents Ziegler and Rogers, said a confidentiality agreement prevents him from disclosing the amount of money his clients received.
The lawsuit was filed in August and settled about two months later.
Investigation
The Vindicator reported in July that an internal investigation indicated people arrested on traffic violations were subjected to strip-searches by officers.
Lt. Joseph Marhulik conducted the departmental investigation after Dominic D. Gambone, 25, of Warren filed a complaint saying police did a body-cavity search on him when he was arrested in February 2002 on charges of driving under suspension and driving slowly.
Marhulik stated in his internal report that he thinks the search violated state law and departmental policy.
Officer Tim Parana, who took part in the Gambone search, said in a written report that he performs a strip-search on every male he arrests.
Suit
According to the lawsuit filed by Myers, Ziegler and Rodgers were arrested in June 2002 by Sgt. Robert Massucci and charged with driving under suspension.
The charges were later dismissed, records show.
Ziegler said he never understood why he and Rodgers, who were in the same car, were both charged with driving under suspension. After the arrest, Ziegler said he and Rogers were taken to the police station and strip-searched in the same cell. After the strip-search they were both released, Ziegler said.
sinkovich@vindy.com