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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, June 3, 2007

Woman's suit against city says civil rights violated

Advertiser Staff

A woman who called a criminal prosecution against her a waste of taxpayer money filed a federal lawsuit Friday against the city, police officials and others alleging that her federal civil rights were violated.

Sharon Black, a Honolulu Police Department civilian employee, was prosecuted on charges of unauthorized use of city computers, fourth-degree theft and tampering with a government record in connection with a research project at the city medical examiner's office in 2005.

In March, Circuit Judge Richard Perkins threw out the charges after a jury earlier could not reach a verdict in the case.

At the time of the dismissal, Black called the prosecution "a phenomenal waste of taxpayers' money."

She had maintained that the prosecution was in retaliation for a sexual harassment lawsuit she filed against the department a decade ago. The city paid $612,000 to Black and her lawyers to settle the suit in 2003.

Black's suit asks for back wages and benefits, and an unspecified amount of general, compensatory and punitive damages.

The suit is against the city and officials with the Police Department, the medical examiner's office, the prosecutor's office and others.

City attorneys could not be reached for comment on Friday.