Dinius Sues for $1 Mil

Elizabeth Larson of Lake County News reports that Bismarck Dinius has filed a federal civil lawsuit against Lake County and a number of its employees for violating his civil rights when they prosecuted him for manslaughter in the ’06 death of Lynn Thornton. Thornton was killed after the sailboat she and Dinius — who was on the tiller — were aboard was hit from behind by a speedboat driven by then-Sheriff Deputy Russell Perdock. Prosecutors alleged that Dinius’s blood alcohol content of .10 made the accident his fault instead of Perdock’s. A jury found him not guilty last August, but Dinius was left with legal bills totaling over $300,000. His lawsuit is seeking punitive damages and legal fees.

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