Woman wrongfully put on 'Wall of Shame' is suing

Very interesting story out of Newsday today:

Woman wrongfully put on 'Wall of Shame' is suing
Driver who suffered medical condition taking legal action against Nassau, Hempstead Village

The Bellerose woman whose name, photograph and hometown were featured on Nassau County's "Wall of Shame" after her May arrest -- though she was neither intoxicated nor drug-impaired -- is suing the county and the village police department that arrested her, the woman's attorneys said Friday.

Andrea Sangermano, 50, wiped away tears at a Mineola news conference as she spoke of the humiliation she has felt since being arrested May 23 by police in Hempstead village for driving while impaired by drugs.

That was the first day of Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi's plan to publicize the arrests of drunken drivers through a "Wall of Shame." To date, that effort has included the photos and names of nearly 900 people. ( more)

The story goes on to explain that in May, Ms. Sangermano drove erratically and got into an accident. When police arrived, the arresting officer noticed she was speaking with a slur and had bloodshot eyes. Apparently, drunk driving and diabetic shock share these symptons. Ms. Sangermano was exonorated, and is now suing the County for posting her picture on the infamous "Wall of Shame."

While this is an interesting case--Nassau County's calling it 'an anomaly'-- and my heart goes out to Ms. Sangermano, this begs the question: if you are in diabetic shock, and get into an accident, is that not, by definition, a liability to other drivers? If we prosecute driving while texting or not using a hands free, wouldn't you think that we should expect our fellow drivers to recognize the symptoms of diabetic shock, recognize that they pose a threat to us, and pull over? Perhaps I'm oversimplifying, but it bears mentioning.

Also, if more than 900 folks have recieved the "Wall of Shame" treatment, and only one has a complaint, that means that the program is effective 99.9% of the time. There are hospitals that would kill for that kind of accuracy (alright, I guess the hospitals wouldn't 'kill' for that kind of accuracy, but you get the point).

Notably,Newsday and Morganobrien.com both employ a disclaimer that reads, "all are presumed innocent until proven guilty."