Jury Sides with Lloyd Harbor in Federal Lawsuit

Three hours after deliberations began Thursday, a federal jury dismissed charges that the village of Lloyd Harbor violated a resident's First Amendment rights.

Resident Jeff Bartels, 53, sued the village and its police force for $10 million, claiming they violated his civil rights and deliberately  intimidated him when he spoke at village meetings.

Bartels, who filed the suit in 2008 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District, said all he was concerned about were unsafe conditions in the village, according to his attorney Andrew Campanelli. Two situations he mentioned were clogged storm drains near his home and dangerous driving conditions on the causeway between Lloyd Neck and Lloyd Harbor.

He also accused the police of trying to arrest him for taking pictures of the causeway, and claimed village officials brought police officers to village meetings he attended to try and intimidate him. The village defended their actions, saying they "acted with a good conscience."