Supervisors reject Tellez’s claim for damages

The Merced County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday rejected a claim for damages filed by a man who was declared innocent of murder in 2014 and arrested again last month after an apparent clerical error made an old warrant appear valid.

A claim for damages was filed by Jacob Logan Tellez, who was arrested in July 2014. He claims the arrest was made under false pretenses and he was subjected to false imprisonment and malicious prosecution until December. The claim for an unspecified amount includes physical and emotional injury, economic losses, loss of future earnings and a violation of his civil rights.

Tellez was a co-defendant in a case involving Ethan Morse, the son of Merced County District Attorney Larry Morse II. The judge in November made a formal factual finding that Tellez did not fire a gun in March 2013 during a high school party outside Atwater. Morse’s son was accused of being the getaway driver but was also cleared.

Tellez was arrested again last month – just two days after he filed his claim against the county – in what the Merced County Sheriff’s Department said was an error. The warrant for Tellez’s arrest was only cleared from the sheriff’s system under one of Tellez’s last names, not both, the department said.

The Board of Supervisors rejected Tellez’s claim without discussion Tuesday. The county’s lawyer, James Fincher, and risk management advised the board to reject the claim because it was filed later than six months after the initial incident, county documents show.

Adam Stewart, Tellez’s lawyer, said he anticipated the board’s rejection of the claim. “It’s consistent with their ongoing policy of violating civil rights and harassing these folks,” Steward said about the county and the board.

Stewart said his client plans to file a lawsuit in federal court.

This story was originally published July 21, 2015 at 4:43 PM with the headline "Supervisors reject Tellez’s claim for damages."