Trooper pleads not guilty to fondling DUI suspect
SEATTLE - A state trooper is hauled before a judge on a charge of sexual misconduct with a drunk driving suspect. The law comes down hard on law enforcement officers because their alleged victims are in vulnerable situations.
State trooper Carlos Torres is charged with what's called "custodial sexual misconduct." "Custodial" means the officer is in a position of authority and control over the suspect.
A drunk driving suspect claims Torres arrested her and, while in the back seat of his patrol car, fondled her and touched her private areas.
"Enter a plea of 'not guilty,'" Torres' attorney told the judge.
Torres is the latest trooper to face these kinds of sex allegations from women they've arrested.
Trooper Eric Corrigan of the Olympia region is accused by two women of inappropriate touching while they were under arrest. The Thurston County prosecutor is not pressing charges, but the state patrol is conducting an internal review.
Trooper Michael Idland pleaded guilty to groping and fondling women he'd stopped for suspected DUI in 2005. Suzanne Evans was one of his victims.
"I don't feel safe and I feel I need to communicate that to the rest of the community in some way," Evans said in 2005.
"And that's why we take these matters so seriously," said Capt. Jeff DeVere with the state patrol. "That if these allegations proved to be true that's a serious breach of the public trust and we want the public to know that we're doing everything we can to avoid these situations."
We know that alleged victims are vulnerable to the power of law enforcement officers, but the law enforcement officers themselves are vulnerable to false charges.
Torres and his attorney claim the woman in their case is trying to get back at the trooper for arresting her.
"There is a risk that someone is going to make these types of allegations, as you said, to try to avoid criminal charges," said Torres' attorney, Michael Schwartz.
The FBI investigated the allegations, but the feds declined to prosecute and turned the case over to the King County prosecutor.
While it's all being sorted out, Torres remains on paid leave for a case that's dragged out for nearly two years.
The state patrol hopes to get more cameras in their cars to show what's happening ahead of them and what's happening in the car itself.
State trooper Carlos Torres is charged with what's called "custodial sexual misconduct." "Custodial" means the officer is in a position of authority and control over the suspect.
A drunk driving suspect claims Torres arrested her and, while in the back seat of his patrol car, fondled her and touched her private areas.
"Enter a plea of 'not guilty,'" Torres' attorney told the judge.
Torres is the latest trooper to face these kinds of sex allegations from women they've arrested.
Trooper Eric Corrigan of the Olympia region is accused by two women of inappropriate touching while they were under arrest. The Thurston County prosecutor is not pressing charges, but the state patrol is conducting an internal review.
Trooper Michael Idland pleaded guilty to groping and fondling women he'd stopped for suspected DUI in 2005. Suzanne Evans was one of his victims.
"I don't feel safe and I feel I need to communicate that to the rest of the community in some way," Evans said in 2005.
"And that's why we take these matters so seriously," said Capt. Jeff DeVere with the state patrol. "That if these allegations proved to be true that's a serious breach of the public trust and we want the public to know that we're doing everything we can to avoid these situations."
We know that alleged victims are vulnerable to the power of law enforcement officers, but the law enforcement officers themselves are vulnerable to false charges.
Torres and his attorney claim the woman in their case is trying to get back at the trooper for arresting her.
"There is a risk that someone is going to make these types of allegations, as you said, to try to avoid criminal charges," said Torres' attorney, Michael Schwartz.
The FBI investigated the allegations, but the feds declined to prosecute and turned the case over to the King County prosecutor.
While it's all being sorted out, Torres remains on paid leave for a case that's dragged out for nearly two years.
The state patrol hopes to get more cameras in their cars to show what's happening ahead of them and what's happening in the car itself.
Learn about changes coming to commenting