Yvette Fortier Bline a former correctional deputy at the Tehama County Sheriff’s Office in California, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against the County and Tehama County District Attorney Matthew D. Rogers, Tehama County Sheriff Dave Kain, Tehama County Under Sheriff Jeff Garrett and District Attorney’s Office investigator, Defendant Eric Clay,
The lawsuit alleges she accepted a position in the Tehama County Sherriffs Office in September 2008. After approximately two years of employment, she became a Correctional Deputy. Bline successfully completed required training, including P.O.S.T. Certification, to serve as a Correctional Officer at the Tehama County Jail.
In February 2017, during a 12-hour training that was fairly physically intense, Bline injured her right shoulder and neck region. Bline developed numbness and tingling in both hands following her injuries, and claimed to have developed a torn meniscus as a result to the training. She filed a workers compensation claim and was provided benefits and medical treatment.
Bline was approved for neck surgery for the injuries she sustained from the previous training incident. The spinal injuries were later included in a cumulative Workers’ Compensation claim in January 7, 2023 following her spine fusion.
Joseph Ambrose, D.C., performed a Qualified Medical Evaluation on July 7, 2022. He diagnosed lumbar disc protrusion with bilateral radiculopathy; lumbar myoligamentous sprain/strain; patellofemoral syndrome, bilateral; sacroiliac sprain/strain, chondromalacia patella; and meniscus tears in both knees. He attributed this to the continuous trauma of 13 years of employment with the County. She continued to receive medical care following his report. And disputes arose between the parties over authorization for some of the recommended care.
The complaint alleges that Bline’s “medical costs had risen to approximately a half a million dollars by the summer of 2023 for her cumulative trauma sustained during her 13 years employment working with Tehama County. Because Plaintiffs medical costs and benefits, and the costs incurred due to Plaintiffs on the job injuries at Tehama County were expensive and as of January 23, 2023, and were escalating, Defendants’ allegedly decided to form a scheme to falsely accuse Plaintiff of Insurance Fraud to retaliate against her for exercising her statutory right to seek redress through the California Workers’ Compensation benefits system by procuring unlawful search warrants to gather evidence to try to convince a trier of fact that Plaintiff performed actions that, in their opinion, were evidence of malingering.”
She was ultimately charged with two counts of insurance fraud under California Penal Code Section 550(a). She claims her reputation in the community was damaged by press releases such as an article published by the Tri-County News which was based on the press release from the District Attorney’s Office. The first sentence stated: “A Tehama County Sheriffs correctional deputy is being accused of workers’ compensation fraud in excess of $500,000.” Another press release was published by the Red Bluff Daily News on August 30, 2023, the day Bline was arrested.
After Bline was arrested, she alleges she was placed on an ankle monitor during the pendency of charges, subjected to warrantless searches of her home and property, restricted in her travel, and deprived of her county salary, employment benefits, and liberty.
The prosecution was eventually terminated in her favor. After a preliminary hearing involving several prosecution witnesses Judge Laura Woods told the prosecutor: “So, Ms. Frost you have completely failed to even remotely meet your burden. As we know, a burden of proof at a preliminary hearing is incredibly low. And you haven’t even met that.”
The court then informed the prosecutor that: “Quite frankly, I think you can tell that I’m a little irritated and annoyed and angry that I have spent all these hours, that she has been charged with a felony, that she spent the night in jail based on these charges. It’s absolutely unconscionable to me.”
The judge continued to express her dismay: “I’ve been doing this for a long time. I was a prosecutor, and I was a defense attorney, and I’ve never seen a case like this. I cannot believe this. You should be embarrassed. The S.O. should be embarrassed. And I say that having known all these guys for 25 years This is absolutely unacceptable. And I just can’t believe it. I’m probably making inappropriate comments, but this is outrageous to me. And quite frankly, I’m angry that I had to sit here and listen to this. And I didn’t even spend the night in jail. And I didn’t have to hire a defense attorney.”
“So, I think you guys need to go back to your office and really rethink what is happening. This is ridiculous. I have known Eric Clay for a long time. I don’t have any problem telling him this is unbelievable. So-I would tell Under Sheriff Garrett that, and I would tell Sheriff Kain that as well.”
Bline’s federal lawsuit makes claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for conspiracy to violate her civil rights, specifically breaches of her First Amendment rights (retaliation for protected activity), Fourth Amendment rights (unlawful seizure and searches), and Fourteenth Amendment rights (due process violations through fabricated evidence and malicious prosecution).