Federal Court Allows Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Florida Sheriff to Proceed
A federal court in Florida has ruled that a civil rights lawsuit against the Polk County Sheriff’s Office can move forward, overcoming a significant legal hurdle regarding the statute of limitations. The plaintiff, Taylor Cadle, alleges that deputies mishandled her 2016 report of sexual abuse by her adoptive father, instead charging her with filing a false police report. This decision left her vulnerable to further abuse before she eventually collected evidence leading to her abuser's conviction. Cadle, now 22, sued Sheriff Grady Judd and two detectives for malicious prosecution and violating her right to bodily safety. Although defense attorneys argued the suit was filed too late under Florida’s seven-year limit, Cadle’s lawyers successfully argued that the clock should have paused while she was a minor under the care of hostile guardians. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle agreed, allowing most claims to proceed. The Sheriff’s Office had previously dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous, defending their initial investigation as rational based on available evidence. This ruling marks a critical step for Cadle in seeking accountability for what she describes as a biased and harmful law enforcement response to her childhood trauma.
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Federal Court Allows Civil Rights Lawsuit Against Florida Sheriff to Proceed
A federal court in Florida has ruled that a civil rights lawsuit against the Polk County Sheriff’s Office can move forward, overcoming a significant legal hurdle regarding the statute of limitations. The plaintiff, Taylor Cadle, alleges that deputies mishandled her 2016 report of sexual abuse by her adoptive father, instead charging her with filing a false police report. This decision left her vulnerable to further abuse before she eventually collected evidence leading to her abuser's conviction. Cadle, now 22, sued Sheriff Grady Judd and two detectives for malicious prosecution and violating her right to bodily safety. Although defense attorneys argued the suit was filed too late under Florida’s seven-year limit, Cadle’s lawyers successfully argued that the clock should have paused while she was a minor under the care of hostile guardians. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle agreed, allowing most claims to proceed. The Sheriff’s Office had previously dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous, defending their initial investigation as rational based on available evidence. This ruling marks a critical step for Cadle in seeking accountability for what she describes as a biased and harmful law enforcement response to her childhood trauma.
Mother Jones