CLEVELAND — Despite noting "excessive force" was used during the arrest, an appeals court overturned the conviction of a Euclid police officer who was caught on camera beating a Black driver during a 2017 traffic stop.
An Eighth District Court of Appeals panel found a visiting judge waited too long to hold Michael Amiott's trial, which violated his right to a speedy trial.
In their opinion, written by Appellate Judge Frank Celebreeze, the panel concluded, "by the time appellant’s trial commenced on July 22, 2022, appellant’s speedy-trial time had long since expired."
The appeals judges determined that Amiott's trial should have been held by May 2, 2022.
Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Guy Reece was appointed to oversee Amiott's case after Euclid Municipal Court Patrick Gallagher recused himself from the proceedings.
Reece rescheduled the trial to begin in July 2022. It was initially scheduled to begin in March 2022.
A jury found Amiott guilty of one count of misdemeanor assault and one count of interfering with civil rights for beating Richard Hubbard III during the August 2017 traffic stop.
A bystander captured the incident on her cellphone camera. It showed Amiott kicking and punching Hubbard in the face.
The appellant court's opinion stated Amiott "used excessive force when arresting Hubbard."
Euclid Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer-Gail fired Amiott for beating Hubbard.
An arbitrator gave him his job back.
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Hubbard filed a civil rights lawsuit against the City of Euclid. The city settled the lawsuit for $450,000.
