Ohio police say arresting Stormy Daniels was 'a mistake' but probably not a setup

Stormy Daniels mug shot
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Hours after police in Columbus, Ohio, arrested porn actress Stormy Daniels early Thursday outside a strip club where she'd just performed, prosecutors threw out the charges. Police had charged Daniels, 39, with three misdemeanors for allegedly slapping three undercover officers at the club with her bare breasts, but prosecutors said the Ohio law in question only prohibits physical contact between customers and strippers who "regularly" perform at a club. Daniels was making her first appearance at the club, Sirens.

"One element of the law was missed in error," Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs explained. "A mistake was made, and I accept full responsibility." Here's what that "mistake" looked like for Daniels, who was "traumatized and rattled" by her arrest, according to her lawyer, Michael Avenatti.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.