Trigg County's insurer will pay $150,000 to settle a federal lawsuit accusing Sheriff Aaron Acree of assaulting a woman while she was handcuffed and shackled inside the Cadiz sheriff's office. Crystal Smith, 49, filed the suit in late 2022, alleging Acree roughed her up and threatened to kill her after she was arrested for breaking into his home.
The settlement, first reported by The Courier-Journal, will be paid by the Kentucky Association of Counties All Lines Fund, identified as Trigg County's insurer. Smith said the alleged assault happened at the Trigg County Sheriff's Office in Cadiz after she was arrested for breaking into Acree's home, according to the same report.
What the Court Found
Smith alleged Acree slammed her against a wall, threw her to the floor and threatened her. The court opinion found a genuine factual dispute and denied summary judgment to Acree on Smith's assault, battery and Fourth Amendment excessive-force claims, meaning those claims were headed toward trial rather than being thrown out. The ruling does not establish that Acree was found liable for the alleged assault.
The same court granted summary judgment to the Trigg County Fiscal Court and Jailer James Hughes, clearing them of Smith's claims. The court also granted Acree summary judgment on Smith's separate equal-protection claim against him, narrowing but not eliminating her case before the settlement was reached.
A Guilty Plea Preceded the Settlement
Acree's legal troubles predate the civil settlement. In 2023, he pleaded guilty to two counts of official misconduct and two counts of menacing, according to kentucky.com. He received a one-year jail sentence that was conditionally discharged for two years, the outlet reported.
Acree's time as Trigg County sheriff has drawn scrutiny beyond the Smith case, including several brutality allegations.
