Jury awards Iowa man $105,000 after wrongful DUI arrest while sober
A federal jury has awarded an Iowa man more than $100,000 after police detained him for driving under the influence when he was completely sober.
The ruling is part of a pattern of police in Iowa stopping and even arresting drivers for OWI when they were completely sober. The ruling shows it is the taxpayers who may ultimately pay the price.
Body camera footage shows Newton police stopping Tayvin Galanakis in the summer of 2022. The officer said he smelled alcohol, but when a breathalyzer came up with zeros, Officer Winters continued questioning.
Galanakis sued the officers and the city of Newton in federal court for wrongful arrest. After a trial this week, a jury agreed, awarding him $105,000 in damages.
Law enforcement says spotting sober drivers is harder than ever with legalized marijuana and prescription drugs. Experts say the standard practice for law enforcement is to err on arresting and detaining a sober driver rather than risk letting someone under the influence back on the road.
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