Toyota Repair: Brake lights, dash lights, electrical problem

Question
Thank you Terry. Do you know, the day before this started to happen, I found a back plastic part on the car's door-mat, under the pedals, that had fallen off. It looked like a black plastic or rubber thick washer, so I thought it was from the plastic covers under the dashboard. May this be a brake system part?

Thanks in advance
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Followup To
Question -
Hi Terry. I own a Corolla '94 with 99K miles that runs like a charm. Last week I parked in an inclined street, so I engaged the hand brake. When I left, released the hand brake and drove home. When I parked at home, I noticed the rear brake lights remained on after I turned the car off. I sat in the car again and pressed the brake pedal w/o turning on the engine. When I checked the brake lights again, they were off. After this, the rear brake lights stay on after I park the car. They go off if I step on the brake pedal again. Can you please point me out why is this happening? Is this electrical problem or the brakes them selves?

Thanks in advance

Richard
Answer -
From what you told me it sounds like the switch. I've seen the pad come off off the brake arm that the switch rest on or the switch is bad or loose.  If you had said when you hit the brakes and the dash lights up then I would have said you have a bad brake bulb, going to ground.

Answer
That sounds like it, you can get this at your dealer.  It just snaps in, look under the dash at the brake pedal, find the switch and you shold see where it goes, when the pedal is at rest, check your switch to see if it's damaged, should be ok I would think.