San Diego, California – After years of legal battles, San Diego County has achieved a significant win in the case of Mickail Myles, a man who was assaulted by a sheriff’s deputy and bitten by a police dog while he was handcuffed. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a previous jury ruling that awarded Myles $5 million, reducing the damages to $1.5 million, citing minimal evidence of lasting physical injury.
In a ruling issued on May 12, the appellate judges noted that Myles did not suffer permanent damage from the dog bite other than minor scars and that he maintained normal physical and intellectual capabilities. Additionally, the court vacated an order that mandated the county pay nearly $6 million in legal fees to Myles’ attorneys, stating that the initial award was based on an inflated assessment of damages.
This ruling represents a rare legal triumph for both the county and its Sheriff’s Office, which have faced numerous claims of negligence and misconduct, resulting in substantial costs to taxpayers in recent years. Concerns have been raised regarding the department’s history of disproportionately stopping and questioning people of color, including Myles, who is Black.
Officials from San Diego County welcomed the appellate court’s judgment, stating it highlighted several errors in the original trial that unfairly affected the outcome. The county is currently evaluating options for either settling the case or retrying it limited to the issue of damages.
Myles’ legal team, however, viewed the court’s decision as a partial victory, affirming the jury’s conclusion that there was departmental misconduct. Attorney Daniel Balaban stated that although a larger financial award would have been preferable, the primary goal of holding the Sheriff’s Department accountable was accomplished.
According to court records, in 2014, Myles, then a 26-year-old preschool teacher, was pulled over while driving home from a family gathering. Deputies stopped him as they searched for a group of teenagers accused of playing pranks. While complying with officers’ requests and handcuffed, Deputy Jeremy Banks struck Myles in the head and unleashed a police dog named Bubo, known for its aggressive behavior.
Witnesses confirmed Myles’ cooperation during the encounter, despite his arrest on suspicion of resisting an officer. No criminal charges were subsequently filed against him. After filing a lawsuit against the county and Banks in 2015, the case proceeded to trial in 2022.
During the trial, several deputies testified that Myles was not the suspect they were searching for and that the use of force against him was unwarranted. Nonetheless, the county defended the actions taken by Banks, leading to court findings that highlighted failures in the county’s legal practices regarding the disclosure of evidence.
U.S. District Judge John Houston previously ruled that the county’s legal team failed to produce necessary documents, hindering the defense’s ability to adequately respond to accusations of wrongdoing. This lack of transparency contributed to the judge’s decision to award Myles’ attorneys substantial fees, but the appellate court deemed these fees excessive and unwarranted.
As the case moves forward, discussions regarding future motions related to the revised award will continue, with a schedule established for upcoming filings. The focus will now shift to readdressing damages, capped at $1.5 million by the appellate court.
This ruling and the ongoing proceedings underscore the complexities involved in legal accountability within law enforcement, raising ongoing questions about civil rights and police conduct in San Diego County.
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