Cindy Lowe had blood on her nose, a bite mark on her shoulder, and a bruise forming on her skin. Her boyfriend, Joseph Floied, had scratches on his chest that he put there.
To the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office deputies on scene that night, it was evident: Lowe was the victim and Floied the aggressor. But all of that changed, according to a federal lawsuit, when deputy Michael Jarvis learned that Floied was related to Adam Floied, assistant chief of the Manchester Police Department.
After a “courtesy call” to Adam Floied, Coffee County authorities allowed Joseph Floied to leave in the back of his brother’s car, lied on an official report, and used false information to bring domestic assault charges against Lowe, the suit states.
Although prosecutors dropped the charges, Lowe filed the civil lawsuit against Coffee County and two deputies in Chattanooga’s federal district court, arguing the deputies abused their power as Coffee County employees and triggered a malicious prosecution that damaged her life.
On Thursday, attorneys gathered in a conference room with U.S. District Judge Travis McDonough, who set a March 19, 2018, trial date. Before that, though, McDonough asked the attorneys to get him up to speed on their arguments.