Assemblyman Hikind called for an official inquiry into the botched arrest and prosecution of Ms. Chila Lati, a 39-year-old mother of four, for allegedly running over the foot of a traffic agent while trying to avoid a traffic summons.

Ms. Lati’s nightmare began when NYPD detectives from the 61st precinct came to her door and informed her she was being taken into custody for an incident that had occurred several weeks earlier. She insisted that they had the wrong person and that there were several other individuals residing in Brooklyn by the same name. Moreover, she was able to provide proof that she was at another location at the time of the incident, and her car did not match the description of the vehicle involved. Her protests fell on deaf ears. She was charged with assault, reckless endangerment, obstructing governmental administration, menacing and harassment.

Ms. Lati was interrogated, fingerprinted, body searched, stripped of her personal effects, and placed in a line-up and holding cell. She was facing one year in jail, with three years of post-jail probation.

Upon learning of this situation, Assemblyman Hikind contacted the Brooklyn District Attorney, urging him to review compelling evidence that Ms. Lati’s attorney had amassed, which pointed unambiguously to her innocence.

The District Attorney’s office agreed and dropped the charges.

“Although a grave miscarriage of justice has been avoided, the events of the past several months surrounding this case are a stark reminder of what can occur when flagrant errors in our justice system go unchallenged,” said the Assemblyman.