Laura Benitez Geisler, left, and Sean McCaffity, right, the plaintiff's attorneys. Credit: Sommerman, McCaffity, Quesada & Geisler Ex-Judge, DA Among Defendants Liable in $21.35M Retaliation Verdict
The jury found Quitman, its mayor, the county sheriff, district attorney and district court judge conspired to get the officer fired for stating an acquaintance might not get a fair trial in the state court.
September 23, 2024 at 05:03 PM
6 minute read
What You Need to Know
- A former district court judge and district attorney are among the defendants hit with a $21.35 million civil rights suit filed by a police captain.
- A federal jury found the judge and DA were part of a group of elected officials that conspired to fire the officer.
- The plaintiff raised First Amendment claims of retaliatory termination for stating an opinion.
A federal jury awarded $21.35 million to a fired police officer, finding that a former state court judge and district attorney among the defendants liable in a First Amendment wrongful-termination case.
The jury also awarded damages against Quitman, the city's former mayor, David Dobbs, and Wood County's former sheriff, Tom Castloo.
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