A DeWitt County Board Member has filed a lawsuit in US District Court, Central District of Illinois, Springfield Division, for almost $1-million in damages.

The suit filed by Terry Hoffman sites DeWitt County, DeWitt County Sheriff Jered Shoffner, three of his deputies and Teresa Barnett, DeWitt County's EMA Director as defendants.

According to the 20-page document, Hoffman alleges he was falsely arrested and imprisoned as a result of a December 2012 incident at the DeWitt County Courthouse with Barnett. The suit also claims his arrest as motive of "suppression of Hoffman's right to speech in opposing hazardous waste being placed in the landfill".

Hoffman's suit also sites nearly $25-thousand dollars in attorney's fees as a part of the charges. He claims he is entitled to restitution.

In addition, he is suing for $850-thousand as compensatory damages from "unreasonable searches and seizures" and "suffered loss of reputation, mental anguish from imprisonment and the threat of additional imprisonment".

Hoffman was acquitted of charges of battery on May 21, 2014.