Friday, November 6, 2009

Man Sues Bay County Prosecutor for Ethnic and Religious Discrimination, Conspiracy, and Violation of His Constitutional Rights

TROY, Mich., Nov. 5- An Arab American filed suit yesterday in U.S. Federal Court in Detroit against the Bay County, Michigan Sheriff's Department, Prosecutors, Officers and other Defendants for ethnic and religious discrimination, false imprisonment, violation of his constitutional rights and conspiracy.

Fawaz Ghaith, a trucker by trade, and a father of 4, was wrongfully accused of extortion, and allegedly threatening to engage in the honor killing of his daughter.

After setting an unusually high bail based on the fabricated charges against him, a Judge declared a mistrial in Fawaz's first trial. Then, after Prosecutor, Richard Dresser produced evidence which was withheld from Fawaz during the first trial, the County Prosecutors Office dropped all extortion charges against Fawaz, and released him after wrongfully detaining him for nearly 6 months.

Fawaz is being represented by civil rights attorney, Shereef Akeel.

Shereef Akeel commented, "This is an abhorrent miscarriage of justice. Men and women in law enforcement deserve our highest honor and respect. So for any officer or prosecutor that violates the public trust by maliciously prosecuting an innocent man on the basis of his ethnicity or religion is simply unacceptable, undermines our trust in law enforcement, and has no place in America today."

CONTACT: Shereef Akeel of Akeel & Valentine, PLC, +1-248-269-9595

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