Anne Arundel County Dismissed from Lawsuit Involving Police Office Accused of Misconduct

The Maryland Daily Record reports a federal judge has dismissed claims against Anne Arundel County and Anne Arundel County’s current and former police chief in a lawsuit in federal court in Baltimore involving the claims of three women who complain that a former Anne Arundel County police officer instructed them to expose their breasts after traffic stops. The defendant former police officer is still in the case.

The police officer was fired, which is a decent clue that the claims have a foundation. But I’m wondering exactly what the damages are in the lawsuit. Did any of these women actually follow the instructions? Or were they just incredibly offended? Obviously, the women did the right thing in reporting the police officer and Anne Arundel County did the right thing in firing the police officer. Bad story with the best possible ending. I just don’t see why there has to be a lawsuit tacked on to the end of the story unless there is something compelling that happened beyond some nutcase telling the plaintiff to take off her shirt and the plaintiff saying “no way.”

Judge Benson Legg found no basis for claims against either the county, Police Chief James Teare, or former chief Thomas Shanahan. The ruling does not apply to state litigation.

Former police officer Joseph Mosmiller remains the sole defendant in the federal case. He was convicted of misconduct and fired in 2007 after the allegations surfaced.