A federal judge is allowing a civil case to proceed against Tehama County by a former correctional deputy alleging a conspiracy against her by the Sheriff and District Attorney. Yvette Bline was charged with worker’s compensation fraud in 2023. Her lawyer says the charges are bogus because Bline suffered catastrophic injuries while on the job. Bline was hired by the department in 2008 and started working in the jail in 2011. She says she was injured during a training exercise in 2017, requiring years of treatment. In 2023 investigators started videotaping her, saying she was seen doing things that proved she was not as badly hurt as she claimed. She was arrested and fired from her job. The lawsuit accuses District Attorney Matthew Rogers, Sheriff Dave Kain and others of fabricating evidence to use against Bline and deny her workers comp benefits while publicly defaming her. When she was arrested, Bline had already received around a Half Million Dollars in insurance benefits. The suit demands full compensation for medical costs and for loss of future employability, as well as punitive damages for malicious prosecution. The most recent ruling denies immunity for the Sheriff and DA.
-Steve Gibson