City settles stripper strip-search suit

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., July 9 (UPI) -- A Florida city agreed to pay a $195,000 settlement to four exotic dancers and two female bartenders who claimed they were illegally strip-searched.

U.S. District Judge Mary Scriven approved the settlement offered by the city of Daytona Beach Shores to the six employees of Biggins Gentleman's Club, where the workers said they were illegally strip-searched during a drug raid in September 2009, the Orlando Sentinel reported Friday.

One of the dancers was found to be carrying a marijuana cigarette but charges were later dropped.

Brett Hartley, an attorney for the employees, said they will each receive $5,000 and the rest will go to pay for attorney's fees.

Hartley said an "all persons search warrant" was obtained by officers to search everyone inside the club, but the lawyer said such a warrant is illegal and Scriven agreed.

Hartley said the strip-searches were conducted in front of 20 male officers, despite strip-search laws stating "any observer shall be of the same gender as the arrested person."