Jordan Miles civil lawsuit reassigned to new judge

PITTSBURGH — Chief U.S. District Judge Sean McLaughlin has reassigned a Homewood man's civil rights lawsuit against three Pittsburgh police officers to U.S. District Judge David Cercone, according to court documents filed Tuesday.

Jordan Miles, 21, claims that officers Michael Saldutte, David Sisak and Richard Ewing lacked probable cause to arrest him during a confrontation Jan. 12, 2010, on Tioga Street in Homewood. He also claims they used excessive force during the arrest.

The officers deny both claims. A trial in August ended in a hung jury on both claims, but the jury acquitted the officers on Miles' third claim, that they maliciously prosecuted him on charges that were later dismissed in order to cover up the civil rights violations.

U.S. District Judge Gary Lancaster had presided over the case before his death last month. He had scheduled a new trial on the remaining two counts for July.

This article was written by Channel 11’s news exchange partners at TribLIVE.

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