News
Woman sues Va. trooper who dropped DUI charge for sex
Published: Jan 15, 2004 - 03:01 PM
MANASSAS, Va. ? A woman who had sexual relations with a state trooper in exchange for his dropping a drunken-driving charge against her is suing him, the state police and the state of Virginia for more than $20 million. The lawsuit alleges that former trooper William A. Carter raped "Jane Doe," who was 20 at the time of the January 2002 incident. Carter pleaded guilty to bribery, but no additional criminal charges were filed against him.
The woman's lawyer, Daniel Morrisette, said an investigation showed it was common knowledge among northern Virginia's law enforcement community that Carter was prone to stop young women for purported traffic offenses.
In a letter to Virginia Attorney General Jerry W. Kilgore, Morrisette said that the state police and the state were negligent in allowing Carter to remain on the job.
Carter pulled the woman over and began threatening her, saying she'd be jailed if she didn't cooperate, according to her lawsuit. After she took a Breathalyzer test, he informed her that the result would make it easy for him to see to it that she went to jail for 12 months, the lawsuit said.
The trooper gave the woman a court summons, then drove her to a real estate office where he worked. After sexual contact there, Carter told the woman she could discard the summons, which she instead presented to his supervisor.
As a result of the charge against Carter, prosecutors were forced to drop nearly 40 traffic cases in which he was the charging officer.
The woman suffered physical pain, emotional and mental anguish and was hospitalized for several months, according to her lawsuit.
The attorney general's office and state police both declined comment Tuesday
In a letter to Virginia Attorney General Jerry W. Kilgore, Morrisette said that the state police and the state were negligent in allowing Carter to remain on the job.
Carter pulled the woman over and began threatening her, saying she'd be jailed if she didn't cooperate, according to her lawsuit. After she took a Breathalyzer test, he informed her that the result would make it easy for him to see to it that she went to jail for 12 months, the lawsuit said.
The trooper gave the woman a court summons, then drove her to a real estate office where he worked. After sexual contact there, Carter told the woman she could discard the summons, which she instead presented to his supervisor.
As a result of the charge against Carter, prosecutors were forced to drop nearly 40 traffic cases in which he was the charging officer.
The woman suffered physical pain, emotional and mental anguish and was hospitalized for several months, according to her lawsuit.
The attorney general's office and state police both declined comment Tuesday
