Lexington, Ky. – A former Kentucky lawmaker, John Tilley, has initiated a lawsuit against Sgt. Markell Heyward, a Lexington police officer, following Tilley’s acquittal on rape charges. The legal action arises after Tilley was found not guilty by a jury in late July 2023.
Tilley, a Democratic State Representative who also served on former Republican Governor Matt Bevin’s cabinet, faced accusations of raping an intoxicated woman at the Marriott City Center in Lexington in 2022. Prosecutors asserted that the woman was unable to consent due to her level of intoxication.
In his lawsuit, Tilley claims that Heyward engaged in malicious prosecution, abuse of process, and defamation, alongside violations of state constitutional rights. Tilley alleges that Heyward deliberately made false statements to secure a felony indictment against him, and that he ignored exculpatory evidence which could have demonstrated Tilley’s innocence.
The lawsuit outlines that Heyward’s testimony included false claims that Tilley contends are defamatory and made with “reckless disregard for the truth.” Tilley seeks legal redress for the alleged harm caused by the arrest and subsequent prosecution.
As of now, online court records do not indicate any scheduled hearings in the case, leaving the timeline for resolution uncertain. Tilley’s case raises significant questions about the conduct of law enforcement personnel and the criminal justice process in high-profile accusations.
The situation continues to unfold as the legal proceedings progress, and it highlights ongoing discussions about the boundaries and responsibilities of police investigations in sensitive cases.
