North Las Vegas has agreed to pay Army veteran Kenny Smith $25,000 to resolve his federal civil‑rights lawsuit alleging false arrest and false imprisonment. The incident stemmed from a malfunction in the city’s newly implemented JWORKS case‑management system.
What happened
On March 12, two city marshals arrived at Smith’s home to serve what they claimed was a no‑bail warrant. Smith was placed in double‑locked handcuffs and escorted toward jail, but surveillance footage showed the vehicle never entered the detention facility. Smith repeatedly told the officers there was no warrant.
Chief Marshal Andy Popovsky later admitted the warrant could not be verified until Smith challenged it en route. The chief’s report noted an apology for the inconvenience, and Smith was driven back home.
System glitch and warrant error
Smith discovered the warrant bore the word “test” beside his address. City officials explained that a court employee inadvertently accessed a training version of the new system, which generated a warrant that appeared active. The city described the episode as an isolated incident.
The JWORKS system, which cost taxpayers more than $1.1 million, is intended to modernize case handling, but this error raised questions about its reliability.
Legal action and settlement
Smith filed a federal civil‑rights suit against the city and the involved marshals. During discovery, he found two conflicting police reports: one stating the warrant could not be confirmed, another claiming it had been initially confirmed through the new system, with the latter report removing the apology.
The city denied that Smith was partially responsible for the arrest, despite arguing his information was in the system due to a separate pending criminal case. Smith also cited text messages from Deputy City Attorney Suzanne Berube Rorhus to his ex‑girlfriend, urging her to secure a warrant for his arrest, which Smith characterized as coercive.
Representing himself, Smith settled the civil‑rights claim for $25,000. The city’s criminal case against him remains open, but the North Las Vegas City Attorney’s Office has been replaced by a special prosecutor.
Community response
Smith said the incident shows how ordinary citizens can be vulnerable when government systems fail. “A situation like this can’t be tolerated,” he warned, urging vigilance to prevent similar mistakes.
The settlement underscores the need for careful verification of warrants and transparent oversight of new technology in law‑enforcement operations.
Original reporting: KTNV 13 Action News Las Vegas (local) — read the source article.
