The man who was indicted by a grand jury in Wayne County for his role in an alleged drive-by shooting in Newark has suggested that he may sue the County.
Why?
He wasn’t given the opportunity to testify before the grand jury.
Richie Stokes Jr., 33, of Clyde filed a notice of claim last week. This is the documentation that allows an individual to file a lawsuit within a year against a municipality.
The 33-year-old was arrested in late-January on felony counts of criminal possession of a weapon, reckless endangerment, and attempted assault. The incident took place on January 17 on High St.
Investigators on-scene said that two people said a person in a vehicle shot at them, then drove away. The vehicle was damaged by gunfire.
In his notice of claim, he alleges the DA’s office violated his due process by not giving him a chance to testify before the grand jury, which heard the case while he was in jail, according to the Finger Lakes Times. The notice of claim further alleges that Stokes didn’t receive notification of the proceedings until 1 p.m. on January 29 – four hours after the proceedings actually took place.
Stokes also alleges that officers in Wayne County have continued to harass him. He alleges that deputies have followed him around, and made threats against him.
He’s seeking a total of $15 million in damages. Stokes has a separate lawsuit from three years ago, which sought $10 million in damages.
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