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SUPERIOR COURT OF RIDGEWAY
STATE OF RIDGEWAY; and
RIDGEWAY COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE,
3ODLQWLৼs,
v.
JAMESGARDAI, Probationary Deputy in the
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Defendant.
&LYLO$FWLRQ1R
COMPLAINT
PlaintiffV 6WDWHRI5LGJHZD\DQG5LGJHZD\&RXQW\6KHULII¶V2IILFH, SURFHHGLQJ by and
through their XQGHUVLJQHGFRXQVHOKHUHE\EULQJWKLVDFWLRQDJDLQVWDefendant -DPHV*DUGDLDQG
IRUWKHLUFDXVHVRIDFWLRQ UHVSHFWIXOO\ allege:
JURISDICTION AND VENUE
1. 7KLV&RXUWKDVMXULVGLFWLRQRYHUWKLVDFWLRQXQGHUDUW9RIWKH&RQVWLWXWLRQRI
the State of Ridgeway.
2. 9HQXH LV SURSHU LQ WKLV &RXUW EHFDXVH WKH DFWLRQV DQG RPLVVLRQV DOOHJHG KHUHLQ
RFFXUUHGentirely in the Ridgeway County, State of Ridgeway
PARTIES
3. Plaintiff 6WDWHRI5LGJHZD\LVDVRYHUHLJQVWDWHRIWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV
Plaintiff Ridgeway &RXQW\ 6KHULII¶V 2IILFH LV D ODZ HQIRUFHPHQW department,
DJHQF\RUSROLWLFDOVXEGLYLVLRQof the State of Ridgeway.
5. Defendant -DPHV*DUGDLLVDQLQGLYLGXDOUHVLGHQWDQGFLWL]HQRIWKH8QLWHG6WDWHV
DQG6WDWHRI5LGJHZD\$WDOOWLPHV herein, Defendant ZDVHPSOR\HGDVD3UREDWLRQDU\'HSXW\LQ
the _ Ridgeway &RXQW\6KHULII¶V2IILFH
FACTUAL BACKGROUND
6. 2Q )HEUXDU\ 3ODLQWLII 5LGJHZD\ &RXQW\ 6KHULII¶V 2IILFH HPSOR\HG
'HIHQGDQW-DPHV*DUGDLDVD3UREDWLRQDU\'HSXW\
7. On February 22 D FULPLQDO LQYHVWLJDWLRQ LQWR 'HIHQGDQW -DPHV*DUGDL¶V
RIILFLDOFRQGXFWZDVLQLWLDWHGE\WKH6WDWH
8. 3HQGLQJWKLVFULPLQDOLQYHVWLJDWLRQRQ February 22, 2026, Defendant -DPHV*DUGDL
ZDV ordered RQDGPLQLVWUDWLYHOHDYe by Dariel_Powell, Attorney General of Ridgeway, SXUVXDQW
WRVWDWHODZSee 56WDW.
9. 3XUVXDQWWRVWDWHODZ, DGPLQLVWUDWLYHOHDYHLVD³VXVSHQVLRQ´IURPHPSOR\PHQWSee
56WDW.
10. 3XUVXDQWWRVWDWHODZD VXVSHQGHGHPSOR\HH LV³SUHYHQW>HG@ IURPH[HFXWLQJ
WKHLUGXWLHVDQGFROOHFWLQJSD\´ See 56WDW
11. 1RQHWKHOHVV RQ )HEUXDU\ 2 'HIHQGDQW -DPHV*DUGDL went on duty DV D
Probationary Deputy on the Ridgeway &RXQW\ 6KHULII¶V 2IILFH WHDP DQG DFFHVVHG Ridgeway
&RXQW\6KHULII¶V2IILFHHTXLSPHQWSURSHUW\DQGYHKLFOHV
12. 'HIHQGDQW-DPHV*DUGDLSURFHHGHGWRHQWHU WKHDUPRU\DQGRWKHUUHVWULFWHGDUHDVLQ
WKH5LGJHZD\&RXQW\6KHULII¶V2IILFH WRZKLFK'HIHQGDQWGLGQRWKDYHODZIXODFFHVVDQG took
ILUHDUPVKDQGFXIIVDQGDSDWUROYHKLFOH.
13. 'HIHQGDQW -DPHV*DUGDL SURFHHGHG WR PDNH PXOWLSOH unlawful DUUHVWV DQG LVVXH
unlawful FLWDWLRQV ZKLOHKHZDVon duty.
'HIHQGDQW-DPHV*DUGDLZDVRQGXW\IRUDURXQGKRXUDQGPLQXWHV
15. 'HIHQGDQW -DPHV*DUGDL FROOHFWHG around $792.00 in waJHV from the State 1 to
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FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION
(Trespass to Chattels—Common Law)
16. 3ODLQWLIIV UHSHDW DQG UHLQFRUSRUDWH SDUDJUDSKV - DERYH DV WKRXJK IXOO\
LQFRUSRUDWHGKHUHLQDWOHQJWKDQGLQGHWDLO
17. $WUHVSDVVWRDFKDWWHOPD\EHFRPPLWWHGE\LQWHQWLRQDOO\
(a) GLVSRVVHVVLQJDQRWKHURIWKHFKDWWHO RU
(b) XVLQJRULQWHUPHGGOLQJZLWKDFKDWWHOLQWKHSRVVHVVLRQRIDQRWKHU
See 5HVWDWHPHQW 6HFRQG RI7RUWV
18. 3ODLQWLIIV RZQHG tKH 5LGJHZD\ &RXQW\ 6KHULII V 2IILFH ILUHDUPV KDQGFXIIV DQG
SDWUROYHKLFOH taken by Defendant.
19. 'HIHQGDQWLQWHQWLRQDOO\DFFHVVHGtookDQGPDGHXVHRI3ODLQWLIIV¶FKDWWHOVfor the
SXUSRVHRIPDNLQJPXOWLSOHXQODZIXODUUHVWVDQGLVVXLQJXQODZIXOFLWDWLRQV
20. 3ODLQWLIIVQHYHUFRQVHQWHGWR'HIHQGDQW’VFRQGXFW
21. 'HIHQGDQW¶VFRQGXFWFRQVWLWXWHVWUHVSDVVWR3ODLQWLIIV’ FKDWWHOV
SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION
(Trespass to Land—Common Law)
22. 3ODLQWLIIV UHSHDW DQG UHLQFRUSRUDWH SDUDJUDSKV - DERYH DV WKRXJK IXOO\
LQFRUSRUDWHGKHUHLQDWOHQJWKDQGLQGHWDLO
23. 2QHLVVXEMHFWWROLDELOLW\WRDQRWKHUIRUWUHVSDVV if he intentionally:
(a) HQWHUVODQGLQWKHSRVVHVVLRQRIWKHRWKHURUFDXVHVDWKLQJRUDWKLUGSHUVRQ
1 are paid HYHU\PLQXWHV to 6KHULII¶VGHSXWLHV. However, due to the $WWRUQH\*HQHUDO¶V
DGPLQLVWUDWLYHOHDYHRUGHU, 'HIHQGDQWZDVDXWRPDWLFDOO\VXVSHQGHGIURPKLVRIILFLDOSRVLWLRQ and
SURKLELWHGIURP³FROOHFWLQJSD\´56WDW.
WRGRVR; or
(b) UHPDLQVRQWKHODQG; or
F IDLOVWRUHPRYHIURPWKHODQGDWKLQJZKLFKKHLVXQGHUDGXW\WRUHPRYH
See 5HVWDWHPHQW 6HFRQG RI7RUWV
3ODLQWLIIVRZQHGWKH5LGJHZD\&RXQW\6KHULII¶V2IILFHDUPRU\DQGRWKHUUHVWULFWHG
DUHDVWKDW'HIHQGDQWHQWHUHG
25. 'HIHQGDQWLQWHQWLRQDOO\HQWHUHGDQGJDLQHGDFFHVVWRWKHDUPRU\DQGRWKHUUHVWULFWHG
DUHDV WR ZKLFK KH GLG QRW KDYH ODZIXO DFFHVV IRU WKH SXUSRVH RI VWHDOLQJ 3ODLQWLIIV¶ ILUHDUPV
KDQGFXIIVDQGDSDWUROYHKLFOH
26. 3ODLQWLIIVQHYHUFRQVHQWHGWR'HIHQGDQW¶VFRQGXFW
27. 'HIHQGDQW¶VFRQGXFWFRQVWLWXWHVWUHVSDVVWR3ODLQWLIIV¶UHDOSURSHUW\
THIRD CAUSE OF ACTION
(Unjust Enrichment—Common Law)
28. 3ODLQWLIIV UHSHDW DQG UHLQFRUSRUDWH SDUDJUDSKV - DERYH DV WKRXJK IXOO\
LQFRUSRUDWHGKHUHLQDWOHQJWKDQGLQGHWDLO
29. 'HIHQGDQWZDVXQMXVWO\HQULFKHGDWWKHH[SHQVHRI3ODLQWLIIV'HIHQGDQWFROOHFWHG
DURXQG LQZDJHVIURPWKH6WDWHWRZKLFKKHLVQRWHQWLWOHG See 56WDW.
30. 'HIHQGDQW¶VFRQGXFWFRQVWLWXWHVXQMXVWHQULFKPHQW
PRAYER FOR RELIEF
WHEREFORE, 3ODLQWLIIVGHPDQGthat thLV &RXUWHQWHUDMXGJPHQW
31. 'HFODULQJWKDW'HIHQGDQWFRPPLWWHGWUHVSDVVWR3ODLQWLIIV¶FKDWWHOVSURSHUW\DQG
XQMXVWO\HQULFKHGKLPVHOIDVFRPSODLQHGRIKHUHLQ
32. (QMRLQLQJ'HIHQGDQWIURPFRQWLQXLQJWKHXQODZIXOFRQGXFWKHUHLQ
33. $ZDUGLQJFRPSHQVDWRU\GDPDJHVLQDQDPRXQWWREHSURYHQDWWULDO
$ZDUGLQJUHVWLWXWLRQ
35. *UDQWLQJVXFKRWKHUDQGIXUWKHUUHOLHIDVWKH&RXUWGHHPVMXVWDQGSURSHU
Dated: February 26, 2026 5HVSHFWIXOO\VXEPLWWHG
Palmer, Ridgeway
/s/ BrendaPopplewell
BrendaPopplewell
Solicitor General
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Deputy Solicitor General
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1 County Annex
Palmer, Ridgeway 33368
