A federal judge has dismissed a defamation and civil-rights lawsuit filed by a former Bellevue police officer who resigned after he was falsely accused of assaulting a woman who had a history of seeking out men for relationships then reporting their consensual trysts as crimes.
U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo Martinez summarily dismissed allegations made by former Bellevue traffic Officer John Kivlin alleging that two high-ranking supervisors defamed him in the media and failed to adequately investigate the woman’s allegations before having him arrested and charged. Those criminal charges were later dismissed.
In the meantime, however, Kivlin resigned in lieu of termination and lost his certification as a police officer. In an interview Wednesday, Kivlin said the process was “politicized” by his superiors, state legal officials and the courts.
“I spent 16 years upholding the law and serving the courts,” he said Wednesday. “I’ve completely lost faith in our justice system.”
“I don’t think I stood a chance,” Kivlin said.
The woman, Idunn (pronounced Eden) Schneider has since been charged with two counts of malicious prosecution, both felonies, and witness tampering. Schneider failed to appear for her arraignment and is believed to have moved to Norway.
Schneider also falsely accused former Bellevue Police Chief Steve Mylett of raping her.
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