Miguel Mejia arrived at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on a warm summer evening eight years ago with plans to get a fresh tattoo in New Jersey.
Before catching his bus, he made what he thought would be a quick stop at the men’s restroom. But at the urinal, Mr. Mejia sensed he was being watched and, glancing to his right, saw a man in blue shorts smirking at him.
Mr. Mejia ignored him and walked out. Then came a shoulder tap: Port Authority police officers said he was under arrest. “I’m like, ‘What did I do?
What’s the reason?’” said Mr. Mejia, who is now 51. “They said that I know what I did.” Mr. Mejia was charged with public lewdness, which includes exposing oneself or performing sexual acts in public, but was acquitted at trial.