NASHVILLE − A federal court jury cleared Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh and retired Smyrna Police Chief Kevin Arnold of liability Thursday for undue “Operation Candy Crush” raids in 2018.
Plaintiff James Swain Rieves had sought a $10 million award after two raids that caused a negative impact to his reputation and now closed Cloud 9 Hemp CBD online business in Smyrna. A disappointed Rieves embraced his wife, Leslie, after the verdict awarded him zero in damages.
Rieves, however, did accept a combined $525,000 settlement April 2022, court records show, from both Rutherford County prosecutors he sued: elected District Attorney General Jennings Jones and Assistant District Attorney John Zimmerman.
Fitzhugh and Arnold also hugged one another for a few seconds after the verdict at the federal court building in downtown Nashville.
“Just glad for the jury,” Fitzhugh said after the jury decision.
“I’m just glad it’s over,” Arnold said.
The jury heard eight days of testimony spread over two weeks before deciding that Fitzhugh and Arnold, who’s now a warrants officer for the sheriff, should face zero in damages from the plaintiff after possible millions hung in the balance.