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Lawsuit against district attorney dropped

‘It was ridiculous ... just a distraction,’ Risberg says
Risberg

A small claims lawsuit against District Attorney Todd Risberg accusing the chief prosecutor of smoking marijuana has been dropped.

Trevor Peterson filed the lawsuit in April seeking $5,000, claiming he experienced “emotional and psychological trauma” after hearing stories that Risberg used marijuana.

Peterson dropped the case a few weeks later, saying he could not provide a witness to testify about the district attorney’s alleged marijuana use, according to court documents.

“I dropped it because I didn’t want to drag anyone else into this. Marijuana isn’t a big issue. I just know it can lead to harder drugs,” Peterson said in an email to The Durango Herald.

The case was transferred to Montezuma County, where the request to dismiss the case was granted.

Risberg said he hasn’t thought much about the case.

“It was ridiculous to start and just a distraction,” he said.

Even though he dropped the case, Peterson was concerned the District Attorney’s Office never provided him with a copy of its drug policies.

“I don’t even know if they have one,” he said

Risberg said he was not aware of Peterson’s request, and his office adheres to the rules laid out by La Plata County’s Department of Human Resources.

The drug policy basically states no one can be impaired in the workplace regardless of the substance, said Kelli Ganevsky, director of the county’s human resources department.

Peterson said he also dropped the case to help clear his name.

The DA’s office charged him with domestic violence, but his lawsuit against Risberg was not vengeful, Peterson previously told the Herald.

Risberg confirmed that Peterson received a deferred sentence after he pleaded guilty to second-degree tampering.

If he completes the terms of his probation, which included treatment for substance abuse and a mental-health evaluation, the case could get dismissed, Risberg said.

But a petition to revoke his probation was filed Thursday, Risberg said.

“Basically, I sent a few mean emails while on Ambien or drinking, so it was non-violent,” Peterson said in an email.

mshinn@durangoherald.com

0410_LOC_Risberg lawsuit (PDF)



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