In September of 2011, Rosetta Watson, an 58-year-old African American woman with disabilities, called the police after her boyfriend at the time, Robert Hennings III, broke down her front door and proceeded to punch her in the face. Just a few months later, she called again on three separate occasions, after Hennings choked, hit and shoved her, putting her life in danger.  After the fourth incident, Hennings was finally convicted for domestic assault and sentenced to 200 days in prison.  He is now deceased.  However, reporting the abuse did more harm for Watson than good and she was ultimately punished by the city in which she lived for her calls.  

Image Courtesy of St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The policy the city punished Watson with “resulted in significant harms to Ms. Watson, including violation of constitutional rights, loss of her home and long-term housing stability, as well as severe and ongoing emotional suffering and mental anguish,” according to Sandra Park, an A.C.L.U. senior lawyer.  She went on to state, “Nuisance and crime-free ordinances are popular across the country, but they are deeply unfair, dangerous policies.  They punish people for crimes occurring at their homes, often resulting in homelessness and the silencing of residents who need to call 911.”The ACLU has filed similar cases which have resulted in lawsuit settlements in Norristown, Pennsylvania, and Surprise, Arizona. Unfortunately, some ordinances make no notable distinction between complaints made by victims and their perpetrators.  All are treated the same.  Iowa, Minnesota and Pennsylvania have already passed laws preventing cities from punishing residents for submitting emergency complaints, and more states are expected to follow suit as settlements are reached.

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