L.H. Wagner v. Allegheny County ADA C.H. Connors

**Wagner v. Allegheny County: Malicious Prosecution Claim Dismissed** This case involved L.H. Wagner, who sued Allegheny County claiming they maliciously prosecuted him. Wagner argued that the county brought criminal charges against him without proper justification and with bad intentions. He filed his lawsuit under Section 1983, a federal law that allows people to sue government entities for violating their constitutional rights. The court dismissed Wagner's case entirely. The appeals court upheld this dismissal, ruling that Wagner's claim was "frivolous" (meaning it lacked merit). The key reason was something called the Heck doctrine, which prevents people from suing for malicious prosecution while their criminal conviction still stands. Since Wagner had been convicted and that conviction was never overturned or invalidated, he couldn't pursue his malicious prosecution claim. **What this means for workers:** If you're criminally convicted in connection with your employment and want to sue your employer for malicious prosecution, you typically must first get your conviction overturned through the criminal court system. You generally cannot pursue both a valid criminal conviction and a civil lawsuit claiming the prosecution was malicious at the same time. Workers should consult with attorneys about the proper sequence for challenging both criminal and civil matters.