Skip to content

Candidate sues for releasing arrest records

Post categories

  1. Libel and Privacy
The Daily Freeman reports that the Republican and Independence Party candidate for town justice in a small upstate New York…

The Daily Freeman reports that the Republican and Independence Party candidate for town justice in a small upstate New York town filed a $4 million lawsuit against a private citizen for disclosing information about a 1999 arrest for soliciting sex in a men’s restroom and a slew of other charges.

Steven Nekos filed a suit against Dean Kraus after Kraus divulged records of his 1999 arrest for sexual abuse as well as records of charges stemming from a car accident that immediately followed his arrest.  Nekos also faced charges of falsely reporting that his car had been stolen and was issued several traffic citations that same night.

Nekos was initially convicted, but a county court judge overturned the sexual abuse conviction and dismissed all other charges.  Nekos’ lawsuit contends Kraus harmed him by distributing court documents from the criminal case.  A temporary restraining order issued late last week blocks Kraus from further disseminating information about the arrest.

Stay informed by signing up for our mailing list

Keep up with our work by signing up to receive our monthly newsletter. We'll send you updates about the cases we're doing with journalists, news organizations, and documentary filmmakers working to keep you informed.