Another victory for Steve Thorsrud and Brian Augenthaler

This case stemmed from an encounter between the plaintiff and his girlfriend at a medical clinic in Renton. The plaintiff created a disturbance in the reception area of the clinic, and the police were summoned. After conducting an investigation, the police directed the plaintiff to leave the private property and not return for a year. The plaintiff left the clinic rear parking lot but returned and parked in the front of the clinic. The officers arrested the plaintiff for trespass. He alleged in his lawsuit that an officer pointed a gun at his head during the arrest, that they lacked probable cause to arrest him, and that his First Amendment rights were violated because he was “protesting” at the clinic. However, after deliberating just 45 minutes, the jury returned a verdict finding the officers properly arrested the plaintiff, did not use excessive police force, and did not violate his constitutional rights.