Week of January 28, 2025

Affirming punitive award of $850,000 where compensatory award was $400,000; officer opened cell door directly into then-naked detainee and employed head slams, leg sweep, and hip toss against detainee in separate incidents.

Recognizing claim for retaliation for exercise of
First and Sixth Amendment rights where officer falsified accident report to retaliate against
plaintiff for recording previous incident with another officer and exposing that officer’s perjury
in criminal trial in which plaintiff was acquitted.

Court rejects plaintiff’s arguments that
various items of evidence were withheld from judge hence probable cause presumed for arrest on
a warrant and grand jury indictment.