Mandated Reporter Faces Civil Suit

An enterprising plaintiff's attorney has included a newly-elected county prosecutor in Arkansas in an ongoing civil lawsuit. The plaintiffs all assert that they were victims of the prosecutor's uncle, who has been convicted and sentenced for abusing at least some of them. In the civil litigation, they allege that the prosecutor knew of his activities before his recent arrest and conviction. It's not clear from news reports what duty they believe she breached, but the gist of the allegations is the she knew of his propensities and never reported him as the law requires.

The newly-added defendant was a deputy prosecutor for a number of years, and the Arkansas mandated law specifically lists prosecuting attorneys. As with all newly-filed lawsuits, we have only the plaintiff's claims and do not know what facts will appear in more discovery. However, it is clear that, once again, making a mandated report, even if there aren't enough facts for authorities to act on it, may be the best means of avoiding trouble later.