What is the name of your state? Pennsylvania
if anyone out there knows anything about charges of public intoxication and police procedure for PA, please let me know!
here's the story:
i had a very bad day, so i went out to a bar with some friends. while i was at the bar [from 10pm - 2am] i had 4 drinks... i didn't even finish the last one. we went to a restaurant to get some food, and when i got out of the car, i started to feel nauseous. i went to the bathroom, and ended up throwing up. it wasn't anything really terrible or loud or anything. then, i just kneeled near the toilet because i felt dizzy and wasn't ready to get up yet. after awhile, a cop came into the bathroom [he said he was a cop, i had the stall door closed, so i couldn't even see him] and told me that they had been told i was passed out in the bathroom. i told him that i was not, nor had i at any point, been passed out. he then told me he wanted my name. i gave him my first name, but didn't give him my last. i told him i didn't know who he was and wanted to see some ID first. i mean, it's just me and this guy, completely alone in the women's bathroom! so then my friend comes in to check on me, and another cop stands at the door and keeps it open. this new cop starts ordering me to give them my last name, and tells me he's going to arrest me if i don't. once i feel like i can stand without getting dizzy, i stand up and open the door so i can see them. then i gave them my name, and they demanded my address. i gave them my mailing address, which is a PO box, and the 2nd officer gave me an attitude about that and didn't seem to believe that my family picks up our mail at the post office everyday. so i gave them my physical address too. i told them that i wasn't drunk, i had not had very much alcohol over a period of 4 hours, and that the reason i felt sick was because of a medication i've been put on by a doctor for a headache. i even told them the medication was called amitryptaline. what drunk person can say that? anyway. so i asked them again for some id... their names or badge numbers or something, and they walked away. i went outside after them and told them that i was not trying to be disrespectful, but i thought i had a right to know who was accusing me and of what, since the 2nd officer told me i was getting a $400 citation. they refused and told me that if i knew what was best for me, i would go inside and eat my meal. then they drove away.
at no point did they tell me that they believed i was drunk in public, or ask for any ID, or show me their badge numbers or names, or offer to breathalyze me or anything! i had to call the police dept today because i wanted to complain about the way the police acted, and i was told i had a $400 citation for public intoxication! they also lied to me and told me that someone had called the EMT and they were there because i was passed out... i found out later the reason the cops were called was because there was a fight in the parking lot, and the EMT was there... off duty, eating his dinner. so they lied to me, threatened to arrest me if i didn't give them my name and info without providing their names or badge numbers, didn't tell me what they were citing me for or give me any chance to prove that i was sober [i know for a face that i would have passed a breathalzyer]. is there anything i can do? i've never had a problem with the police ever and this is just ridiculous! if anyone can offer me any advice, i would appreciate it.
if anyone out there knows anything about charges of public intoxication and police procedure for PA, please let me know!
here's the story:
i had a very bad day, so i went out to a bar with some friends. while i was at the bar [from 10pm - 2am] i had 4 drinks... i didn't even finish the last one. we went to a restaurant to get some food, and when i got out of the car, i started to feel nauseous. i went to the bathroom, and ended up throwing up. it wasn't anything really terrible or loud or anything. then, i just kneeled near the toilet because i felt dizzy and wasn't ready to get up yet. after awhile, a cop came into the bathroom [he said he was a cop, i had the stall door closed, so i couldn't even see him] and told me that they had been told i was passed out in the bathroom. i told him that i was not, nor had i at any point, been passed out. he then told me he wanted my name. i gave him my first name, but didn't give him my last. i told him i didn't know who he was and wanted to see some ID first. i mean, it's just me and this guy, completely alone in the women's bathroom! so then my friend comes in to check on me, and another cop stands at the door and keeps it open. this new cop starts ordering me to give them my last name, and tells me he's going to arrest me if i don't. once i feel like i can stand without getting dizzy, i stand up and open the door so i can see them. then i gave them my name, and they demanded my address. i gave them my mailing address, which is a PO box, and the 2nd officer gave me an attitude about that and didn't seem to believe that my family picks up our mail at the post office everyday. so i gave them my physical address too. i told them that i wasn't drunk, i had not had very much alcohol over a period of 4 hours, and that the reason i felt sick was because of a medication i've been put on by a doctor for a headache. i even told them the medication was called amitryptaline. what drunk person can say that? anyway. so i asked them again for some id... their names or badge numbers or something, and they walked away. i went outside after them and told them that i was not trying to be disrespectful, but i thought i had a right to know who was accusing me and of what, since the 2nd officer told me i was getting a $400 citation. they refused and told me that if i knew what was best for me, i would go inside and eat my meal. then they drove away.
at no point did they tell me that they believed i was drunk in public, or ask for any ID, or show me their badge numbers or names, or offer to breathalyze me or anything! i had to call the police dept today because i wanted to complain about the way the police acted, and i was told i had a $400 citation for public intoxication! they also lied to me and told me that someone had called the EMT and they were there because i was passed out... i found out later the reason the cops were called was because there was a fight in the parking lot, and the EMT was there... off duty, eating his dinner. so they lied to me, threatened to arrest me if i didn't give them my name and info without providing their names or badge numbers, didn't tell me what they were citing me for or give me any chance to prove that i was sober [i know for a face that i would have passed a breathalzyer]. is there anything i can do? i've never had a problem with the police ever and this is just ridiculous! if anyone can offer me any advice, i would appreciate it.