Man once accused of murder settles for $50,000

The man who was once accused of murder, was jailed and released and who was suing Sutter County for $10 million settled for $50,000 last month.

Michael Alexander was arrested in 2013, accused of the murder of his 94-year-old neighbor, Leola Shreves, in her Park Avenue home – next door to Alexander’s residence. But the murder case was dropped in August 2016 for lack of evidence and Alexander was set free.

Alexander had filed a lawsuit against Yuba City and Sutter County last summer, alleging his rights were violated. In January, Yuba City, as well as police officer Nicholas Morawcznsi and former detective Jason Parker, were dropped from the lawsuit. Sutter County was the only remaining defendant.

In the lawsuit, Alexander had alleged detectives tricked him into confessing and unlawfully held him in custody without sufficient evidence of his involvement in his neighbor’s murder.

Federal court documents showed last week that the lawsuit had been dropped, but didn’t include stipulations of a settlement and referred to the conclusion of the case simply as dismissed. The Appeal-democrat learned from Alexander’s attorney, David Bishop of Marysville, there was a settlement.

Assistant Sutter County counsel William Vanasek provided the settlement document without comment. It shows the county paid $35,000 to Alexander, and $15,000 to Bishop. According to the agreement the settlement is to not be treated as admission of liability or of fact.