Transgender Woman Wins $1.5 Million Lawsuit After Being Wrongfully Arrested For Trafficking Cocaine
Ju’Zema Goldring has been ordered to receive $1.5 million from an Atlanta police officer. A federal jury decided upon this after Goldring said she was racially and wrongfully apprehended for identifying as a Black, transgender woman.
It was reported that Goldring was walking with friends in October 2015. She was then stopped by two Atlanta police officers for jaywalking. Goldring denied the accusations.
Officers located a stress ball in her purse, and it was tested for the presence of cocaine. Goldring’s lawyer stated that Goldring was charged with trafficking cocaine. However, the test results had come back negative.
Goldring was held in custody for six months in a male jail where she said she was assaulted. Then, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation did their own test which is said to have come back negative for cocaine. Charges were then dismissed.
During the trial, lawyers also performed tests so that the jury could witness the negative outcomes.
It was noted that the lawsuit was against one officer, and the city wasn’t required to pay anything.
The judgment came as Goldring’s lawyer pointed out that the officer violated Atlanta’s transgender policy that went into effect in 2014.
“This case signifies a small but significant victory on behalf of the LBGTQ+ community and other marginalized people here in Atlanta. They have been suffering through discriminatory and callous policing by individuals who swear to protect and serve their communities,” stated one attorney.
