Courthouse Files

WATCH: NYPD Settles Lawsuit in Teenage Brutality Case Where Witness was Pepper Sprayed for Recording

NYPD cops brutally beat 19-year-old Jateik Reed for resisting arrest and carrying drugs in 2012. Drugs were never found and the case was dismissed in court. Reed then filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city.
Now New York City has settled the lawsuit with Reed, who is now 24, for the amount of $614,500, his lawyers announced earlier this month.

Federal Court Rules Cops can Shoot your Dog for Barking

A federal court ruled that cops can shoot and kill your dog if it merely barks at them, something they have been doing routinely for years now anyway.
The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision of a lower court last week, siding with Michigan cops who shot and killed two dogs during a drug raid after they entered the home with a battering ram, according to the Huffington Post.

New Orleans Cop Serving Life in Prison has Conviction Reversed Based on Raunchy Texts he Sent to his Girlfriend During Trial

A New Orleans cop serving life in prison after he was convicted of raping a seven-year-old girl last year had his conviction overturned Wednesday over texts he was sending to his girlfriend during the trial.
Michael Thomassie, 42, was sending texts to his girlfriend about how he would like her to shave her pubic hair.
The texts were then introduced as evidence to argue that he would be inclined to rape a prepubescent girl  because he preferred no pubic hair.

Texas Judge Declares Mistrial in Case of Cop who Shot at Unarmed Man 41 Times, Despite Fellow Cops Testifying Against Him

Once again, a jury found itself unable to convict a cop for killing an unarmed man – even with fellow cops testifying against the cop.
This time, it was a Texas jury which ended up deadlocked Monday in the case of Garland police officer Patrick Tuter, who was charged with manslaughter for shooting and killing a man named Michael Allen after a high-speech pursuit in August 2012.
Tuter rammed Allen’s truck with his patrol car, then fired 41 times – reloading twice – striking Allen three times, killing him.

WATCH: San Diego Cops Allow Police Dog to Maul Naked Man, Resulting in $385,000 Settlement

California cops who sicced a police dog on a naked man tripping on LSD, allowing the dog to maul him for more than 40 seconds while officers held him down, claimed they had no way of knowing if he was unarmed despite body cam video showing he had nowhere to hide a weapon in his nakedness.
But the city of San Diego opted to pay David Aceves a $385,000 settlement last week anyway, apparently realizing no jury in the world would buy that argument.

Texas Man Found Not Guilty for Shooting Three Cops During No-Knock Raid

A Texas man named Ray Rosas who shot three cops breaking into his home during a no-knock raid last year was found not guilty Tuesday.
Rosas said he did not know the armed intruders were cops because his sight and hearing was affected by the flash grenade they tossed into his bedroom window.
After two hours of deliberations, the jury found him not guilty, according to the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

WATCH: Texas Cop who Attacked White Homeless Man While Searching for Black Female Suspect Sued for Excessive Force

A Texas cop who attacked a white homeless man while responding to a call about a black female burglar was sued for excessive force last week.
The lawsuit alleges that on February 20, 2015, Austin Police Sergeant Gregory White struck the homeless man without provocation, which can be confirmed in the video below.

Milwaukee Jailers Mock and Ignore Pregnant Inmate Going into Labor, Resulting in Baby’s Death, Lawsuit Claims

A mentally ill inmate whose baby died after jailers laughed at her and ignored her requests for medical attention when her water broke is suing the Milwaukee County Jail where three other people have died since April.
Shade Swayzer is suing for $8.5 million, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.