Man arrested in soap/cocaine mix-up sues Pa. cops

<img src="http://www.formomsandkids.com/images/products/yellow-ducky-soap-favor.jpg" align="right" width="200">A New York man who spent 29 days in jail after Pennsylvania state police mistook homemade soap for cocaine has filed a lawsuit.

The (Allentown) Morning Call reports Alexander Bernstein says he had to pay thousands of dollars in court costs and missed Thanksgiving with his toddler before the charges were dropped. He's seeking damages exceeding $150,000. State troopers and the field test manufacturer are named in the suit filed last week.

Bernstein was a passenger in a Mercedes-Benz police pulled over for speeding near Allentown in November 2013.

Troopers smelled marijuana, searched the car and found packages the driver said was homemade soap, but tested as cocaine. Lab tests later showed it was soap.

The driver was charged with marijuana possession and speeding.

State police declined to comment.

[The article mentions that someone "smelled marijuana" but there is no mention of any marijuana being found. Also, Mr. Bernstein was not the driver of this vehicle, according to this report, which raises even more questions in our mind. -Ed.]

Read more at http://www.policeone.com/drug-interdiction-narcotics/articles/44125006-M...