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Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Brought By Former Landfill Employee

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — A federal district judge has dismissed a lawsuit from a former landfill employee in Rapid City who claimed that a police officer violated his constitutional rights more than four years ago.

The Rapid City Journal reports ( ) Chief U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Viken dismissed Randall Meidinger’s claim that Lt. Peter Ragnone violated his Fourth Amendment rights when he testified before a grand jury in 2010 that indicted Meidinger for forgery and grand theft.

Meidinger was found not guilty and sued. He claimed Ragnone gave false testimony.

Viken dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that a U.S. Supreme Court decision from 2012 gives grand jury witnesses absolute immunity.

Ragnone’s attorney says the court did not find his client did anything wrong.

A jury trial was scheduled to start on May 11.

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Information from: Rapid City Journal,