PORTAGE | A Portage woman on Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit against Porter County and the city of Portage claiming she was wrongfully arrested in 2012.
The lawsuit claims Portage police arrested Jill Childers on March 10, on a warrant dating from a 2007 debt collection, according to court records. She was released four hours later after posting $210 bail.
Childers is seeking $700,000 in damages. She also claims her Fourth Amendment rights were violated, according to records.
She was originally arrested when an officer said he witnessed a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am she was a passenger in swerving at about 2 a.m. near Samuelson Road, according to court records. The driver was released and was not charged.
According to the lawsuit, Childers was arrested but was not given details about the warrant until four days later. She didn't face any formal charges.
A clerk told Childers the warrant was not removed from the system after it expired and the case was closed, according to court documents.
Portage Police Department Chief Troy Williams said Tuesday he was not familiar with the arrest or the lawsuit.
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