The “Trinity Four” are Shelby Hammer, Adrianne Clifton, Todd Freese, and Chrystal Myers. The lawsuit addresses alleged violations of the U. S. Constitution and U. S. laws.
According to CBS7 News, the lawsuit is being filed against the City of Midland and Midland County, as well as District Attorney Laura Nodolf and Midland Police Department Detective Jennie Alonzo. The plaintiffs claim that Alonzo and Nodolf failed to uphold the justice system when they were arrested in February of 2022. The lawsuit was filed on Oct. 12.
The lawsuit document states that Hammer, Clifton, Freese, and Myers are all educators at Trinity School of Midland. They were publicly arrested in front of school children and accused of failing to report sexual abuse with the intent to conceal it. The plaintiffs argue that Alonzo, the arresting officer, made false statements in her affidavit to warrant their arrest. They also claim that if her affidavit had been truthful, there would have been no probable cause for their arrest in the first place.
Furthermore, the lawsuit highlights that District Attorney Nodolf prevented the Trinity Four from speaking to their attorney, Brian Carney, before waiving their fifth amendment rights. The lawsuit states that when Carney showed up demanding to speak to the plaintiffs, Nodolf instructed the police not to allow him any visits. Detective Alonzo confirmed this during the trial, admitting that Nodolf had given her approval.
The Trinity Four are seeking justice for the alleged violations of their rights and the mishandling of their arrests. The lawsuit aims to hold the City of Midland, Midland County, District Attorney Nodolf, and Detective Alonzo accountable for their actions.