Jacob Franklin, an exemplary deputy sheriff in Jackson County, took his job and his oath seriously. While on patrol, he made a traffic stop on a huge, belligerent man who refused to follow Franklin’s orders.

After warning the man, Franklin, with great effort, managed to take the larger man down and restrain him. It turned out that the other man was a retired Jackson County Sheriff, a “good ol’ boy.”

Video showed that Franklin was completely justified in what he had done, but, nonetheless, he was fired. Sheriffs from all over Oregon lined up to testify against him when he sued for wrongful termination. Jackson County was required to pay nearly $500,000 as a result of a jury verdict and attorney fee award. Charley Merten, now retired from Kafoury & McDougal, was lead counsel.