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Exoneree's lawsuit against city of Charlotte likely headed to trial

By Blake Hanson
By Blake Hanson

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A man who was exonerated after serving 25 years for rape will likely find himself in a courtroom again, although this time it will not be as the defendant.

Tim Bridges' lawsuit against the city of Charlotte appears to be headed for trial.

The parties involved held mediation but reached an impasse Wednesday.

"We showed up to negotiate in good faith," said Sonya Pfeiffer, an attorney representing Bridges. "We were disappointed the city wasn't willing to accept responsibility for what happened to Tim."

The failed mediation means that the case will likely go to trial in March.

Bridges sued the city in 2016.

Shortly after the lawsuit, he sat down with Eyewitness News reporter Blake Hanson to talk about life after his release.

"Sometimes I wish I was back in (prison). It was a lot easier. I'm not going to lie," Bridges said at the time.

Bridges' attorneys say the lack of a settlement means their client has to wait longer to move past what happened. But they are looking forward to the ability to delve into issues with the local justice system in a public setting.

"The public needs to understand there were systemic problems in the Charlotte Police Department that persisted for years," Pfeiffer said.

The lawsuit could put attorneys for the city of Charlotte back in a high-profile courtroom setting for the second time in less than a year.

In May, a jury awarded former Charlotte Fire Department investigator Crystal Eschert approximately $1.5 million. She sued the city because she believed that she was fired for raising concerns about unsafe conditions at the new Charlotte Fire Department building on North Graham Street. The city said she was fired because of inappropriate Facebook posts on her personal page. The money awarded to Eschert does not include money the city spent on outside attorney fees.

A third case against the city is moving closer to a federal trial. Herbert Judon, a former assistant aviation director at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, is suing the city and alleging race discrimination.

Channel 9 contacted the city of Charlotte about the number of cases headed for trial.

The City Attorney's Office released a statement Thursday: 

"Each case is unique. A decision to settle or try a case is based on a variety of factors including an assessment of the City's legal position and likelihood of success at trial, the reasonableness of the other party's settlement demand, and the impact to the organization of settling or trying the case." 

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