L.A. lawyer eyeing lawn incident

OREM — A 70-year-old Orem woman arrested for not watering her lawn has been talking with Los Angeles attorney Gloria Allred, arguably the most famous female attorney in the country.

"I think there should be an independent and thorough investigation of this matter, and until such time as that thorough and independent investigation is completed, I think the officer should remain on administrative leave," Allred told KSL-TV, confirming she had been contacted by Perry.

Allred is known for defending women's rights and represented Amber Frey, a witness in the Scott Peterson case. Peterson was found guilty of killing his pregnant wife, Laci, in 2002.

Betty Perry, who lives at 1568 S. 800 East in Orem, said her rights were violated when she was violently handcuffed, then taken to jail Friday for refusing to give a Neighborhood Preservation Officer her name when he asked about her dead grass.

The Orem officer was back at work Tuesday after a short, paid administrative leave, but he has been reassigned to office duties, said Orem Police Lt. Doug Edwards.

Orem officials issued an official apology at Tuesday night's city council meeting.

"We have been to visit Ms. Betty Perry and have apologized to her for what happened and for all the discomfort and embarrassment it has caused," Mayor Jerry Washburn read from a statement. "We will be assisting with some of her yard problems, including immediate fire hazard weed abatement. Again, we apologize for this incident. Please know that we will deal with it directly and thoroughly."

Also, at Orem's request, the state's Department of Public Safety is conducting an independent investigation, along with Orem's own investigation, so "no one can claim we're trying to cover anything up," Edwards said.

The city council also expressed support for the police force and emphasized the incident is an anomaly.

"It's very concerning and very regrettable," Councilman Mark Seastrand said. "We'll be taking a very close look at it. The history of the Neighborhood Preservation Unit is very, very successful working with neighbors and residents and coming up with good solutions. This just seems way out of character with how (they) usually work."

The Neighborhood Preservation Unit was created in October 2000 with a goal to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods and restore pride in the community through innovative police methods, according to the city's Web site.