On December 9, 2021, after a 4-day trial, Stephen Rehfuss marked another triumph in a civil rights trial in the United States Federal District Court. Over the course of the trial, the jury heard testimony regarding allegations of police misconduct arising out of an incident which occurred on August 9, 2012 when a traffic stop turned into a chase, leading to the arrest of two individuals involved in the distribution and sale of crack cocaine. The Plaintiff, a career felon, fled the scene of a routine traffic stop by the late Officer Martin. After crashing into a building and totaling his vehicle, the plaintiff ran through a neighborhood to a friend’s house, where over 100 individual pieces of crack cocaine were packaged and ready to sell. Officers who secured the crash site also found multiple pieces of crack discarded by plaintiff when he fled the scene. Following a short search, Plaintiff was eventually placed under arrest at his friend’s home after officers found him on the roof. The plaintiff claimed to have been a victim being framed by the police officers, leading to his false arrest and malicious prosecution. The plaintiff’s trial counsel called numerous officers who were involved in the investigation. The plaintiff also testified.
The Rehfuss Law Firm was able to prove through their use of dash camera video evidence and diligent officer reports that the plaintiff’s claims were without merit. Multiple officers and the district attorney who prosecuted the case all testified to their involvement, showing that the two police officers on trial were commendable in their efforts during the search and investigation. The case presented by Stephen Rehfuss proved the baselessness of plaintiff’s claims.
The jury returned its verdict in favor of the police officers dismissing the complaint in its entirety after having deliberated for only 1 hour and 30 minutes, clearing the names of the officers.