Attorney Says Cops Executed Vendetta

CLAYTON, Mo. (CN) - An attorney claims the City of Ladue police officers and firefighters illegally entered his home, searched without a warrant, tried to plant drugs and arrested him without cause. Lewis Goldblatt claims the officers bore a grudge against him and that he had sent multiple letters to the city attorney complaining about officers' conduct.

In his claim in St. Louis County Court, Goldblatt says that on Aug. 30, 2007, he called 911, seeking help for his daughter, who was suffering a seizure. He claims that rather than help his daughter, the officers arrested him and without a warrant searched and seized computers and firearms and planted a bag they thought was cocaine, but turned out to be dish detergent.

Goldblatt says he was held in jail for 20 hours, denied food, medicine and water, held another 24 hours in St. Louis County jail and transferred to a hospital as a condition of bond on trumped-up felony child endangerment charges.

Goldblatt says he suffered depression and anxiety, lost custody and visitation rights to his children for 6 months, lost 90 percent of his legal practice and lost his home to foreclosure due to the actions of Ladue's officers.

Goldblatt clerked for the Missouri Supreme Court, served as assistant attorney general and has successfully defended more than 40 cases in federal courts. He says he has done more than 1,000 hours of pro bono work representing abused women and has written and presented seminars in securities law and ethical issues. Goldblatt claims he can no longer perform his pro bono work due to the defendants' conduct. He also sued Sgt. John Wagner and Det. Thomas Norman. He demands $4.4 million in damages and is represented by Samuel Goldblatt of St. Louis.

Ladue is 10 miles west of St. Louis.

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