Wrongful arrest?

What is the name of your state? NY

I was arrested by the Port Authority of NY&NJ, a bi-state agency police on my property in Brooklyn, N.Y. I was a former employee at the time. They handcuffed me and put me in thier car and took me to the Port Authority Bus Terminal (no miranda rights were read) for receiving money ($1,500) from the American Red Cross & Safe Horizon because I was in the WTC at the time of the 9/11 attack. I went to the Grand Jury and the charges were dismissed because the Red Cross said I was still considered a "displaced and emotionally effected worker". I am now suing them for wrongful arrest and discrimination (only 24 employees, all minorities were arrested out of the over 200 employees who received assistance from Pier 94 in New York after the tragedy). I need to know if the Port Authority Police have any jurisdiction outside of their properties (bus terminal, airports, bridges and tunnels), and also should my lawyer go after the fact that they arrested only some employees and not all, even though we all supposedly commited the same crime.

[stephenk]

what did your attorney tell you when you asked these same questions?


Why did you receive $1500 from the Red Cross?

Miranda rights need not be given to you if you were not being questioned. Just being arrested does not require Miranda rights to be given.

Pier 94 was asking everyone effected to come down to post pictures, etc. of missing, and everyone else who was affected. I took a coworker down there who was injured in the elevator because she was a wreck, and was talking suicide. The chaplain and everyone else down there was at the time (not even two weeks after the tragedy) offering emotional counseling, financial assistance (2 weeks salary) to everyone who worked in the buildings or who worked in the area for all companies (they were thousands of people at the Pier from various companies). I thought they knew what they were doing, they took charge and filled out all the paperwork and said we were entitled to this because we were emotionally effected. I would not have jeopardized my job for $1,500 if I thought I was doing something wrong. To tell you the truth, at that time, my mind was not right, I did not feel I was doing anything wrong. My friend was in a wheelchair for God's sake because of her elevator experience. They arrested her also, in January of 2002, along with myself. The PA was the only company who did this to their employees. Millions of employees from various companies were receiving assistance. Eveyone was messed up mentally, and maybe the Red Cross felt that two weeks salary and food and counseling was a step towards heeling - I don't know. Anyway, after we were arrested, we called the Red Cross, explained and offered the money back, but they said no and faxed me a pamphlet which says "Physically or Emotinally Affected Individuals and Thier Famailies are entitled to Financial assistance with mortgage, rent, utilities, montly bills, food, and clothing" They even have one which says "people thoughout the country who have been emotinally affeced by the disasters are eligible for assistance."
Anyway, our going down there was not to received money - we lost many, many friends in those towers.
Anyway, the Red Cross showed up at my grand jury hearing, and my case was dismissed. What I need to know that my lawyer is trying to find out but is a little stumped becasue there is no info anywherre on this: Does the Port Authority Police have the right to come to your house and put handcuffs on you? I thought their jurisdiction was just the airports and property they owned.