Former Jackson Co. Sheriff may have to pay $280,000 for harassment

Mike Byrd may have to pay deputy he harassed $280K after all

A federal judge erred when he threw out a jury’s verdict against former Jackson County Sheriff Mike Byrd for inflicting emotional distress on a female deputy, a high court has ruled.

In its ruling, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals said a federal court judge did not consider all of the evidence before he threw out the jury verdict that had awarded deputy Kristan Seibert $280,000 for emotional distress suffered in May 2012.

The ruling said the district judge focused only on “evidence of non-sexual harassment.”

SunHerald
4/27/17