It doesn’t get any more clear than this one damaging page that you see succinctly summing up the jury’s findings in the United States District Court, District of Nevada case brought by Howard L. Haupt, Plaintiff, versus Thomas D. Dillard, Defendant, case No. CV-S-90-121-PMP(RJJ).

Dillard is a former Metro detective who should have known better. The case brought by Haupt against Dillard hinged on a case that Haupt was charged with in which a 7-year-old boy was abducted from Whiskey Pete’s Casino and was subsequently found dead under a trailer on the casino grounds. Dillard was one of the detectives assigned to that case. Haupt was acquitted in the case but not before Dillard called the judge to try to influence the judge’s instructions to the jury before they began deliberation. The judge admitted that he felt intimidated by Dillard’s actions.

The summary document above is from Day 12 of the trial of Haupt v. Dillard — The Verdict — Page 20. Guilty on all four counts before the jury:
1. Violating Howard Haupt’s right to a fair criminal trial.
2. A finding in favor of the defendant for damages as a result of that violation.
3. Malicious or reckless disregard for Haupt’s right to a fair criminal trial.
4. Punitive damages as a result awarded to plaintiff Haupt for $1 million.

In anybody’s book, that’s a pretty substantial smack-down.