PHILADELPHIA — A man is suing Lancaster County and its law enforcement, citing alleged malicious prosecution.
Donte Lamar Parker filed a complaint on Jan. 11 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against the defendants, alleging they violated his Fourth and 14th amendment protections.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on Aug. 1, 2014 he was legally present at McDonald's restaurant in West King Street when defendant police officers stopped him and obtained his personal information. He was arrested on Nov. 20, 2014, for allegedly engaging in the sale of narcotics and was found guilty and sentenced to a prison term of 16 months to three years on Feb. 2, 2016.
On May 1, 2017, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania reversed the order of suppression. He had spent approximately three months in prison. The plaintiff alleges Lancaster County failed to properly train its police officers and defendant police officers who initiated criminal charges against him without probable cause.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment against defendants in an amount exceeding $150,000, with interest, costs, attorney's fees and all other declaratory and injunctive relief. He is represented by Brian Zeiger of Levin & Zeiger LLP in Philadelphia.
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Case No. is 5:19-cv-00177-EGS.