Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers comments on the decision of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals Today in Enoch, et al v. Hamilton Cnty. Sheriff's Office, et al.

Today, Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers offered comments following the decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in the case of Enoch, et al v. Hamilton Cnty. Sheriff's Office, et al.

This matter originated out of the 2014 criminal proceedings against former Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Tracie Hunter.  Following those proceedings, Corbin (Hunter's former bailiff) and Enoch (a supporter of Hunter) filed suit against the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office and individual deputies for allegedly violating their 1st Amendment rights to record video and take photos in the hallways of the courthouse.  This was a violation of established local rules.  Following trial, plaintiffs were awarded $35,000 in damages and $546,621.29 in attorney's fees.

In a decision filed today, the Sixth Circuit reversed the decision of the district court that had allowed the plaintiffs to proceed to trial as improperly granted and vacated the court's order awarding attorney's fees and costs to the plaintiffs' attorney.

Prosecutor Melissa Powers commented: "Today's ruling ends nearly eight years of litigation, validating our opinion that this has been a meritless claim from the beginning.

I want to offer special commendation to the staff from my office's civil division who have handled this case and provided exemplary legal work on behalf of the Sheriff's Office: Jerry Kunkel, James Sayre, Joseph Prem, and Pamela Sears.  Because of their efforts, the taxpayers of Hamilton County have been saved from being forced to pay nearly $600,000 in improperly awarded fees and damages.  They deserve our gratitude for working tirelessly to get the job done."