Woman sues over alleged police search of her cell phone

A Chicago resident is suing a police officer who arrested her and then allegedly searched her phone without consent, forwarding her private photos to his personal phone.

Lemia Britt filed a lawsuit March 7 in the Cook County Circuit Court against Jerome L. Anderson, the officer, and the City of Chicago, citing constitutional violations, conversion, trespass to personal possessions and invasion of privacy by intrusion upon seclusion.

The filing of Britt's suit came shortly after a federal judge dismissed her federal Fourth Amendment and equal protection claims against Anderson. The federal judge didn't address Britt's state claims, which she put in her recently filed suit in state court.

According to the complaint, Anderson arrested Britt on June 25 for violating an order of protection. Britt claims Anderson searched her phone without her knowledge or consent, and forwarded several of Britt's private photos from her phone to his own personal phone.

The suit states Anderson was not executing or enforcing any laws when he committed these acts.

Britt is seeking damages, including compensatory and punitive damages. The plaintiff is being represented in the case by Julie O. Herrera of Law Office of Julie O. Herrera and Julie B. Aimen.

Cook County Circuit Court Case No. 2014-L-002820.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in the Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt, and it only represents one side of the story.