CHICAGO, March 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ellen "Treffly" Coyne, mother of three young children, is filing a civil rights suit against officers of the Crestwood Police Department for her false arrest and malicious prosecution on child endangerment and obstruction of justice charges. Mrs. Coyne was cleared of the charges on March 13, 2008 after the prosecution determined it could not meet the burden of proof for the charges.
Mrs. Coyne had to endure the emotional strain of being falsely arrested and prosecuted for a crime she did not commit, and of being labeled a child abuser, due to the nature of the charges. Her whole family was affected by the event throughout the subsequent holidays and continuing even now.
In truth, Mrs. Coyne, a devoted full-time mother, could not be further from charges of which she was accused. Treffley, her husband Tim, and her three daughters enjoy camping trips and other outdoor activities as a family all the time. Treffley and Tim have always stressed the importance of family and togetherness to their children and include them as much as possible. They feel it's important to enjoy and feel comfortable in their community, and to teach their daughters to be safe, but not afraid of the world.
The day in question epitomizes this strong sense of family. On December 8, 2007, Treffley made a family trip with her three daughters and their daughters' friend to the local Wal-Mart to deposit $8.29 in pennies the children had collected for the Salvation Army kettle. Treffley made a careful decision to park in what appeared to be a loading zone in front of the store while she accompanied the girls (ages 8 and 9) to make a donation and take their picture. She did not want to disturb her sleeping 2-year-old who was warm and snug in the car while it was sleeting outside. She locked the car, set the alarm, activated the hazards and kept her vehicle in sight as she walked less than 30 feet for the few minutes it took to deposit the coins. Her daughter was never in any danger.
What started as a sweet family lesson in giving to others, ended in Treffley being arrested. The Community Service Officer berated Treffley for leaving her child "alone," and summoned additional police officers to handcuff her and place her in the squad car. While she was handcuffed in the squad car, Coyne's older daughters stood alone in the store and her 2-year-old daughter slept peacefully in the car alone (all of them, out of Treffley's sight). What should have been a five-minute errand turned into an hour-and-a-half affair with the children unattended. Fortunately, the little girls were smart and stuck together (as they were taught to do), despite that they were scared to be alone and worried about what was happening to mom.
Treffley is thankful for the support of her community after the incident and messages of support that have helped to sustain her through the pending criminal action and negative internet debate. Now Coyne is filing suit alleging the violation of her civil rights for her false arrest and malicious prosecution for these scandalous charges. Coyne is represented by Blake Horwitz, civil rights attorney, who has had many successful cases, including a record $28 million verdict.
Press Conference Information
Time: March 20, 2008 at 11:00 A.M.
Location: The Law Offices of Blake Horwitz 155 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60601
The Law Offices of Blake Horwitz
