Hello Mayor Seller,

I exchanged many emails with Mayor Naugle over the years. I have
been in Fort Lauderdale for almost twenty years. I reside in the
Jackson Tower condominium on Fort Lauderdale beach, and own the
businesses JacksonTower.com, ReadyInk.com, and others.

Thursday around 9:30 my wife Silvana dos Santos was pulled over for
allegedly running a stop sign a few blocks from our house. Because
she did not think she had done anything wrong, she did not want to
sign the citation. The officer said he would arrest her, and she
reflexively said, 'ok, arrest me'. He did. When she then said she
would sign, he said it was too late. She asked if she could call me
to get the car, but he did not listen, and it was towed. She
requested many times and finally, after the police car had been driven
quite far, shouted at the officer for him to put on her seat belt.
Because she was handcuffed and behind a solid barrier, and accident
would cause her to crash into barrier. She was not given a phone call
until 5:00 PM. Male prisoners in adjacent cells exposed themselves to
the female prisoners. I posted bail at 5:30, and she was not released
from jail until 3:00 AM, more than 18 hours later.

She received citations for a broken brake light, refusing to sign the
citation, failure to provide proof of insurance, and running a stop
sign. She was arrested for refusing to sign the citation. Silvana is
from Uruguay, a country where you can not trust the police, and her
English comprehension is not the best. She may not have understood
the officer's explanation about signing the citation, and she feels
the officer spoke rapidly and did not speak clearly. And why should
anyone be required by law to sign anything? My wife has a delicate
personality and takes medication for anxiety, and these events have
severely traumatized her. In addition to having charges dropped, I
would would like to discuss how we can improve all aspects of this
process.

Tom Friedel
954-294-8763