LAFAYETTE — A lawyer and his client are suing Lafayette Parish law enforcement officials, alleging wrongful criminal charges.
Attorney Richard Mere and Rachel A. Garber, both of Lafayette Parish, filed a lawsuit April 15 in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana against the Lafayette Police Department, the Lafayette Sheriff Department and sheriff-elect Mark Garber, the former husband of Rachel Garber, alleging they violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act by filing fictitious criminal charges.
According to the complaint, Mere and Rachel A. Garber have been damaged and will continue to be damaged until the defendants are restrained by the court from further violating their rights.
The plaintiffs allege the defendants illegally obtained search warrants for their entire e-mail accounts, refused to discuss the warrant served on Microsoft to produce data related to their e-mail accounts, accused Rachel Garber of stealing documents from the Law Office of Mark Gaber and terminated her from her job at the law firm.
Mere and Rachel Garber seek a trial by jury, a declaration the defendants have no right to obtain any of their e-mail account information, an order preventing the defendants from using any further method to access any documents or information about them, attorney fees and costs, and all other relief the court deems necessary. They are represented by attorneys Jeffery F. Speer and George A. Wright of Doucet-Speer APLC in Lafayette.
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana Case number 6:16-cv-00502