Three settle suit against ex-Benton County sheriff

BENTONVILLE -- Three Benton County sheriff's office employees each received $10,000 to settle a federal lawsuit they filed against former Sheriff Kelley Cradduck.

Rogers attorney Don Kendall filed the lawsuit in March on behalf of Robin Holt, Megan Rutledge and Dianna Goodwin. Holt is a lieutenant at the jail. Rutledge also works in the jail. Goodwin, who also still works in the office, was Cradduck's administrative assistant.

The lawsuit named Cradduck as a defendant individually and in his capacity as sheriff. Benton County also was named as a defendant.

The three employees sued for a violation of their rights to free speech and association, along with civil rights. The lawsuit also claimed there was a violation of the Arkansas Whistle-blowers Act because Cradduck's behavior was in retaliation for the three women cooperating with an Arkansas State Police investigation against the sheriff.

Holt, Rutledge and Goodwin agreed to a settlement in June. Federal Judge Timothy Brooks dismissed the lawsuit June 28. Settlement agreements show that Holt, Rutledge and Goodwin each received $10,000. Their attorneys received a total of $20,000. The settlement money comes from the Association of Arkansas Counties Risk Management Fund.

Cindy Kolb, one of the attorneys representing the county and Cradduck in his official capacity, declined to comment on the settlement. Cradduck also was sued individually, and the settlement also resolved that portion of the lawsuit. Kendall said he could not comment. Neither Holt, Rutledge nor Goodwin responded to email messages seeking comment.

The settlement required Holt, Goodwin and Rutledge to agree they would have no future claims against Cradduck or the county in connection with the lawsuit. The three also agreed not to help, advise, testify or provide any documents to any current or former employee of the sheriff's office in a legal action unless they are lawfully subpoenaed or required to do so because of their jobs.

Cradduck agreed to resign from office in April in exchange for $80,000. He pleaded no contest in April to a misdemeanor tampering charge. He was placed on unsupervised probation for six months and ordered to pay $670 in court associated costs.

Jason Barrett, a special prosecutor, said at an April hearing that Cradduck encouraged sheriff's office employees on Oct. 13 to lie to the Arkansas State Police during its investigation. Arkansas State Police investigated Cradduck's hiring of Gabriel Cox to work in the jail and whether Cradduck ordered payroll records for Cox to be altered to show a hiring date earlier than when he started to work.

State Desk on 09/14/2016

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