Malicious Prosecution Claim.

Byline: Derek Hawkins

7th Circuit Court of Appeals

Case Name: William Lund v. City of Rockford, Illinois, et al.,

Case No.: 19-1945

Officials: EASTERBROOK, ROVNER, and SCUDDER, Circuit Judges.

Focus: Malicious Prosecution Claim

William Lund, a reporter, was arrested in Rockford, Illinois after discovering a police-run prostitution sting operation in the course of his news-gathering activities. He sued the City and several officers for retaliatory arrest, malicious prosecution and several other alleged invasions of his rights under federal and state law. The district court granted summary judgment for the defendants. While Lund's case was pending, the Supreme Court issued its decision in Nieves v. Bartlett, 139 S. Ct. 1715 (2019), which instructs that, in most cases, probable cause to arrest defeats a claim of retaliatory arrest. Because the...