John Edward Dawson listens to testimony in Judge Amy Reedy's courtroom at the Monroe County Courthouse in July in Madisonville, Tenn.The Monroe County, Tenn., man who filed a $1 million federal lawsuit this week against the county, its sheriff and two detectives has a matching $1 million lawsuit in Monroe Circuit Court.
John Edward Dawson Jr. contends in both actions that Monroe Sheriff's Office Detectives James Patrick Henry and Doug Brannon faked evidence, posed as attorneys and cajoled witnesses to lie in order to charge him in the 2006 shooting death of Troy Green.
Green, a Monroe County businessman, disappeared in April 2006. His car was found in Roane County two days later and his body in McMinn County in early May 2006. He had been shot.
Dawson was indicted in 2010, but charges were dismissed last August after a key witness testified he had lied about where he got a gun similar to one carried by Green. Monte Cox said he bought the gun at a flea market, but Henry persuaded him to swear in court he got it from Dawson.
The federal complaint alleges violations of Dawson's Fourth Amendment rights. It seeks $1 million in compensatory damages plus punitive damages to be determined from Henry and Brannon individually, for malicious prosecution; from Sheriff Bill Bivens individually, because he knew of the violations but did nothing to stop them; and Monroe County, for a failure to train, supervise and discipline law officers so habitual it amounts to custom.
The Tennessee lawsuit asks for damages under the state's Tort Liability Act, public law related to wrongdoing by sheriff's employees and common law.
Dawson accuses Henry and Brannon of malicious prosecution, civil conspiracy to wrongfully implicate him in Green's death and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
He accuses Bivens and Monroe County of negligent supervision and training, and Monroe County of liability for intentional acts and negligent infliction of emotional distress.
His lawsuit seeks $1 million in compensatory damages, punitive damages from Henry and Brannon in an amount to be determined, plus attorney costs and expenses.