Personal Injury Law

Civil Rights Violations: Federal Court Upholds Illinois Dad?s False Arrest Claim Against Will County Sheriff?s Detectives in Murder of Riley Fox

A federal appeals court has upheld Kevin Fox?s civil rights violation claim that Will County Sheriff?s Detectives falsely arrested him for the murder of his 3-year-old daughter. Kevin was charged with the first-degree murder and sexual assault of Riley Fox after she disappeared from their Wilmington home in 2004.

The little girl?s body was found in a creek. Kevin, who implicated himself while being interrogated says that he made his statement during a 14 ½ hour overnight session. He ended up in jail for eight months before DNA evidence cleared him. Riley?s murder case has yet to be solved.

Kevin and his wife Melissa sued the Will County sheriff?s office for civil rights violations in 2007. Allegations included wrongful imprisonment and false arrest. The couple?s Chicago attorney has accused police of knowing Kevin was innocent and framing him.

In 2007, Kevin?s brother Chad described how male family members gave DNA samples and underwent polygraph tests to assist in the investigation into Riley?s murder. He said that Will County authorities did not test the evidence.

You can sue police for civil rights violations, including:

? False arrest
? Wrongful conviction
? Police misconduct
? Failure to protect
? Police brutality
? Police negligence
? Recklessness during police pursuit
? Neglect of a prisoner
? Taser injuries
? Malicious prosecution
? Failure to intervene

Just because you are a suspect or under arrest for a crime does not mean that your civil rights should be tossed to the wayside or that you should become a victim of Will County, Illinois police brutality. Unfortunately, many people are too scared to speak out or are not aware that their civil rights were violated.

Brother and mother testify in Kevin Fox lawsuit, ABC Local, November 8, 2007

Court: Fox falsely arrested for Riley?s death, Morris Daily Herald, April 8, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Will County Sheriff's Office

The US Constitution, Cornell.edu

Full post as published by Chicago Injury Attorney Blog on April 12, 2010 (boomark / email).