Court Tosses Lawsuit Against Mt. Pleasant Police Chief
A federal lawsuit targeting Henry County and Mt. Pleasant Police Chief Lyle Murray has been thrown out of court. The case was dismissed after the attorney who filed the suit missed critical deadlines and failed to respond to court orders. The ruling brings an end to a legal battle that challenged the actions of local law enforcement and prosecutors.
Attorney Sued Over Trust Account Investigation
Last November, attorney Beau Bergmann and the Bergmann Law Firm filed a federal lawsuit against Henry County, the Henry County District Court, County Attorney Darin Stater, and Chief Murray. Bergmann claimed his civil rights were violated and his privacy was invaded during an investigation into his client trust accounts.
The dispute centered on a lawyer trust account Bergmann maintained at Wayland State Bank in Mt. Pleasant for depositing client funds. According to the lawsuit, Chief Murray and County Attorney Stater applied for a search warrant in August 2023 to obtain financial statements for accounts controlled by Bergmann or his law firm.
Chief Murray provided an affidavit to the court as part of the warrant application. In the affidavit, Murray stated that Bergmann had illegally taken $20,000 from a mentally incapacitated person and refused to return the money. The affidavit also referenced $9,500 paid to Bergmann by a different client.
Bergmann either stole or fraudulently obtained money from the two victims.
The lawsuit argued that the affidavit cited two suspicious checking accounts without explaining why they were suspicious. Based on Murray's affidavit, District Associate Judge Jonathan Stensvaag approved the warrant application. Bergmann sued, seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages for the alleged civil rights violations.
Procedural Failures Sink The Case
Despite the serious nature of the allegations, the lawsuit never advanced to the evidence phase because Bergmann failed to follow basic court rules. Between March and April 2026, the defendants filed motions to dismiss the case. Federal court rules stipulate that a party has 14 days to file a resistance to such a motion.
Bergmann never filed a resistance. On April 23, with the deadline having passed, all the defendants asked the court to dismiss the case immediately, citing Bergmann's complete lack of response.
The next day, Bergmann filed a motion seeking permission to file his resistance briefs under seal. The court noted that his motion did not acknowledge that the deadlines had already passed. He also failed to explain why he had not sought an extension before the deadline expired.
On April 28, the court ordered Bergmann to show cause as to why the motions to dismiss should not be granted. Bergmann failed to respond to the court's order. As a result, the judge granted the defendants' motions and dismissed the case entirely.
Police Chief Fights Back Against Accusations
Chief Murray is now pushing back hard against the attorney's claims. While Murray could not be reached by phone for additional comment on Thursday, he took to Facebook to address the situation. Murray stated he plans to meet with attorneys about pursuing a case for slander and defamation against Bergmann.
Murray wrote that the city's attorney had previously contacted Bergmann and his firm with pointed questions for clarification, but the questions were completely ignored. He added that the baseless accusations did not stop with the lawsuit.
I then was advised by four different state agencies that they had received a complaint on me for failure to do my job correctly. All of the agencies later agreed no crime was committed.
Implications For Local Law Enforcement
The dismissal marks a clear win for local law enforcement and county officials. Federal lawsuits can drain taxpayer resources and tie up county attorneys and police chiefs in lengthy legal battles. This case highlights how procedural rules are designed to keep the judicial system moving and prevent cases from stalling when plaintiffs fail to prosecute their claims.
For Mt. Pleasant residents, the outcome reaffirms that local officers investigating potential financial exploitation will not be easily deterred by subsequent legal action. The fact that four separate state agencies cleared Chief Murray of any wrongdoing further strengthens the position of local law enforcement in this dispute. As Murray considers his own legal options, the community can be confident that their public safety officials are operating within the bounds of the law.