North Carolina Judge Dismisses DWI Against Woman

Arresting trooper violated the woman’s constitutional rights

A North Carolina Superior Court judge in Raleigh dismissed the charge of DWI against a woman after determining the arresting officer was not a credible witness.

What precipitated the decision was a courtroom challenge to the traffic stop that lead to the drunk driving arrest and a disturbing pattern activity by one Highway Patrol officer. Trooper Scott Harrison has been suspected of targeting young women while on patrol. He often would patrol alone at night, focusing on an area near a college campus. Records show 49% of Harrison's DWI arrests involved women, compared to a statewide average of 18 percent. Harrison is on administrative duty while the state highway patrol investigates.

In dismissing the case, the Wake County judge stated that the traffic stop in question was “unconstitutional and unlawful” and called Harrison "not trooper material" if there was a pattern to his arrest procedure. The judge's words caught the attention of North Carolina Highway Patrol officials who are concerned about the public perception of the department.