A Mahanoy City woman has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court alleging that officers of the Rush Township Police Department illegally detained her for nearly two hours, subjected her to an unnecessary field sobriety test, shouted profanities at her and searched her stepfather's vehicle.

The suit was filed by Jeanette Hadesty, who is listing two counts in the complaint.Count 1 charges police with illegal stop, illegal search, illegal seizure and malicious prosecution.Count 2 alleges false imprisonment.A jury trial is requested, with Hadesty requesting that the court "award a judgment in her favor and against defendants, molded by the court to maximize the financial recovery available to the plaintiff in light of the caps on certain damages set forth in applicable federal and state law."The defendants in the case are the Rush Township Police Department, Sgt. Duane Frederick, officer Adam Sinton and officer John Doe.The complaint was filed on Dec. 5 by attorney Ari R. Karpf of Karpf, Karpf & Cerutti, P.C. of Bensalem.District Judge Malachy E. Mannion was assigned to the case.During the traffic stop, Hadesty was charged with possession of a controlled substance, which she refers to in the complaint as "false crimes."Court records indicate those charges were withdrawn from magistrate court.Hadesty says in the complaint that she had a previous relationship with a police officer from Rush Township. She and that officer had two children together. The officer, who wasn't named, died in December 2008. The relationship had ended in October 2007.She said at 11:30 p.m. on March 5 she was driving her stepfather's vehicle along Bernheart Road in Rush Township. She said officers Sinton and Doe "without cause, initiated a traffic stop ... claiming that the exhaust on the vehicle was too loud."She said she was not driving a vehicle that was loud or had an illegal exhaust system, and that she had been followed by the two officers for an extended period of time. It states in the complaint, "In fact, as she was driving past officers Sinton and Doe, they literally pulled around in her driveway and started following her."She said when the officers approached her vehicle, officer Doe said, "Oh, it's Ms. Hadesty."She said the officers inspected pill bottles belonging to her stepfather which were in the vehicle and "did not find anything illegal or incriminating."The complaint says, "They refused to let plaintiff leave and told her that she needed to remain in the car."According to the complaint, Hadesty remained in the car for about 30 minutes until Frederick arrived.She said Frederick knew her and used to work with the father of her children."When Sgt. Frederick arrived at the scene, he began insulting plaintiff and berating her with derogatory comments, including but not limited to, calling her a 'scumbag,' 'a disgrace' and telling her that her 'kids don't deserve a mother like her,' 'that her children's father would be rolling in his grave,' and 'don't expect to kiss your kids tonight because you are going straight to jail.'" the complaint says.She said she was asked to leave the vehicle while officers Sinton and Doe searched it, and Sgt. Frederick performed a field sobriety test.The court document says, "While performing a field sobriety test on plaintiff, Sgt. Frederick continued insulting plaintiff while yelling and spewing profanities at her. The purpose of the field sobriety test was solely to harass and/or humiliate her."It adds, "At one point officer Sinton approached plaintiff and shined a flashlight up her nose and asked her when the last time was that she put something white up her nose and when was the last time that she snorted something."Hadesty said she was eventually released "but was informed by Sgt. Frederick that if he caught her driving anymore, he would automatically give her a DUI.""Plaintiff suffered injuries as a result of her unlawful and unconstitutional stop and detainment," the complaint says.Frederick declined to comment on the suit.No telephone number is listed for Hadesty.