Atwater v. City of Lago Vista

Gail Atwater (plaintiff) was pulled over, and then arrested rather than merely cited, for driving without a seatbelt and failing to secure her children, misdemeanors carrying only small fines under Texas law. She was booked, jailed briefly, and released on bond, then sued the arresting officer and the City of Lago Vista (defendants) under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983, claiming the arrest was an unreasonable Fourth Amendment seizure.