Stopped for Expired L-Plate, Driver Featured on TV Reality Show Files Federal Suit
Stopped by police in a Chicago suburb for allegedly driving a car with an expired license plate, Eran Best says she was subsequently humiliated when the incident—which eventually included a field sobriety test—was featured in a segment of a television reality show. She reportedly was not charged with any moving violation; a charge of driving on a suspended license was later dropped.
She has now filed a federal lawsuit against the producers of Female Forces, the city of Naperville, Ill., and two police officers, seeking unspecififed monetary damages and a court order prohibiting further broadcasting of the segment, reports the Chicago Tribune. The Biography Channel show, which follows Naperville’s female police officers, bills the stars of the show as having “brains, beauty and a badge.”
Contending that she didn’t consent to being included in the show, Best complains that she was mocked by arresting officers and had her name, phone number and driver’s license number aired via a police computer screen, according to the newspaper.
Federal question jurisdiction is asserted under the U.S. Drivers Privacy Protection Act, and the federal court has supplemental jurisdiction over Best’s state-law claims because they arise out of the same case or controversy, the suit asserts. It was filed earlier this week in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
