Florence V. Court Detention Center Case Summary

Albert W. Florence, the petitioner in this case, was initially arrested in 1998 and charged with use of a deadly weapon and obstruction of justice (Florence v. Board of Chosen Freeholders, Opinion, I). He pled guilty to two lesser counts and was ordered to make monthly payments to cover his fine. However, as stated in the Opinion of the Court, he did not keep up with his payments, and a warrant was issued for his arrest in 2003. Florence paid the rest of his fine only days later. However, when he and his wife were pulled over in Burlington County, New Jersey, in 2005, the state trooper’s computer system still had Florence’s warrant, so he arrested and transported him to Burlington County Detention Center. However, as noted in the majority opinion, the arrest itself was not the cause of the case.

Board of Chosen Freeholders, Opinion, I). All parts of the body, including the mouth, underarms, and genitalia, were checked so as to discover any wounds, tattoos, or contraband. He was also required to shower using a soap with a delousing agent (to help guard against lice outbreaks) while being monitored by officers. After being held for 6 days in a cell, Florence was transferred to the Essex County Correctional Facility, which housed over 25,000 and approximately 1,000 gang members. In a similar manner at the Burlington County Detention Center, he and other incoming inmates went through metal detector and a strip search, as well as showered under surveillance. The day after being admitted to the jail, however, the charges against him were dropped, and he was