Katz v. Barstow is a case involving the Barstow Police Department's wrongful arrest of Jesse and Robert Katz for exercising their right to refuse to show identification.
In 2014, the Katz brothers were eating at a Barstow taco shop when another customer accused them (and other people in the restaurant) of stealing a vaporizer. The man called the police, but he had no evidence and admitted that he had none when the police arrived. Nonetheless, the officers asked the Katz brothers for their IDs. The brothers had done nothing wrong and exercised their right to refuse to show ID. The officers arrested them and took them to jail.
Case Developments
May 21, 2015
ACLU SoCal and the City of Barstow reach an agreement to train officers that a person detained by police is not required to identify himself. Read the settlement and the training bulletin.
November 17, 2014
Criminal charges against the plaintiffs were dismissed.
November 24, 2014
ACLU SoCal filed a Tort Claim against the City of Barstow, Barstow Police Department and official involved. Read the claim.
