In June 2021, Joe Longfellow and Riley Landy tried a week long federal false arrest claim in the Northern District of Florida. The case dealt with where the arrest of the Plaintiff was initiated--outside vs inside the home. The jury found the arrest was initiated outside the home and was completed inside the home. The jury then erroneously found that the deputy was not in hot pursuit of the Plaintiff, yet found the arrest was continuous without a break from initiation to completion. Judgment was entered for the Plaintiff and he was awarded damages.
Joe Longfellow and Riley Landy did not let the verdict stand. They believed this was an inconsistent verdict. So, after multiple oral motions for judgment as a matter of law made during trial, they filed a Rule 50/59 Motion asking the Court to reverse the jury's verdict. After months of briefing and the Court carefully considering the case law and facts, entered an order granting the deputy's Renewed Judgment as a Matter of Law and reversed the judgment in favor of the deputy. This was a big win for the deputy! This is an example of a judge doing the right thing despite the difficulty of having to grant such significant relief that is normally denied. Another big win for law enforcement!