Christina Jones, an African-American utility worker in Illinois, has been awarded $59,000 by a jury after she sued two police officers for arresting her in a white community while doing her job.

 

On August 16, 2005, Jones was reading electricity meters in the predominantly (97%) white city of Braidwood, 53 miles southwest of Chicago, when a resident called the police claiming a person “of color” was taking photos of homes. As part of her job for Commonwealth Edison, Jones was actually using binoculars to take readings for homes with locked gates or guard dogs.

 

Even though Jones was in her ComEd uniform and had her company photo identification attached to her waist, officer Craig Clark and his supervisor, Donn Kaminski, continued questioning her, which led to a verbal confrontation and Jones’ arrest for obstructing a police officer.

 

After the criminal case against her was dropped in 2007, she sued the policemen and the city of Braidwood.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Harassed Meter Reader Can Keep Jury's Award (by Joe Celentino, Courthouse News Service)