Idaho Woman Sues Over Arrest Tied to Shoshone-Bannock Casino Surveillance Footage

An Idaho woman has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against casino security staff and law enforcement officers, alleging that her arrest on drug charges rested on a misleading reading of surveillance footage. The suit was filed on October 9, shortly before the second anniversary of the incident.

According to the complaint, Connie Ann Hansen was arrested after a small bag of suspected methamphetamine was found on the gaming floor of the Shoshone-Bannock Casino in Fort Hall on October 19, 2024. Casino security personnel reviewed camera footage to find who had left it. They identified Hansen as the suspected owner, saying the video showed something falling from her lap while she sat at a gaming machine.

Bingham County Sheriff's Deputy Payton Woodland then viewed the footage with casino security. Hansen says that he first acknowledged the recording did not clearly show anything coming from her lap or hands, but later submitted a probable-cause statement saying the video showed her dropping a small bag. She argues that this went further than the footage supports. She also points to later sworn testimony in which the deputy allegedly said he saw an object on the floor but did not see it fall from her.

Hansen was arrested early on October 20, 2024, and her vehicle was searched. Police said they found suspected methamphetamine and a drug pipe in her truck, leading to a felony methamphetamine possession charge and a misdemeanor paraphernalia charge. Hansen denies the items were hers. She says they were on the passenger side, where another person had recently kept belongings, and that driving the truck did not show she knew about them or controlled them.

The complaint also disputes the timing of the arrest. Hansen claims officers detained her before they finished reviewing the casino footage or had a sufficient legal basis, and that evidence from the later vehicle search cannot justify an earlier unlawful detention. She further alleges that prosecutors shifted their position during the proceedings, moving from a claim that the footage clearly showed a drug drop to a theory built on circumstantial evidence.

The lawsuit alleges violations of the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. Hansen seeks damages for financial loss, legal costs and emotional distress. The claims are allegations, and the source does not report a response from the defendants.