Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Affirms Defense Verdict for Sturgill Turner Police Officer Defense Team
On June 10, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals fully affirmed a defense verdict awarded in favor of Sturgill Turner client Kentucky State Police Detective Jason York. The appeal was in regards to an extensive eight-day trial before the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Kentucky, in March 2022.
Several novel evidentiary challenges and Fourth Amendment liability arguments were raised on appeal. The Sixth Circuit approved the lower court’s management of this complex trial and decided all issues in Detective York’s favor.
“We are very pleased that the Sixth Circuit upheld this verdict and addressed disputed issues around Fourth Amendment liability and probable cause,” said Derrick Wright, member of Sturgill Turner’s government and municipal law group and lead counsel for Detective York.
Sturgill Turner’s police officer defense team had won the unanimous defense verdict in favor of Detective York in a lawsuit brought by two of the suspects charged in connection with the 2010 murder and robbery of an elderly widow living in rural Knox County, Kentucky.
The two plaintiffs made claims of malicious prosecution and wrongful detention against Detective York after their criminal charges had been dismissed. Detective York and his defense team of Wright, co-counsel Scott Miller and paralegal David Hobson, maintained and proved that the investigation established probable cause for the criminal charges.
The appeal was brought by Chicago attorneys Loevy & Loevy, founders of The Exoneration Project and one of the nation’s largest plaintiff’s firms specializing in lawsuits against police.
