Former Crosby Mayor Loses Defamation Lawsuit Against Former Police Officers

Former Crosby Mayor James Hunter lost his civil lawsuit on Monday for a defamation claim against two former members of the Crosby Police Department.

Former Crosby Police Chief Kim Coughlin and former Lieutenant Kevin Randolph were found not guilty of defamation today in Crow Wing County Court. Hunter was elected as mayor of Crosby starting in November of 2016, but was arrested in 2017 for four felony charges, all of which he was acquitted of. Hunter resigned from office in August of 2017 before unsuccessfully running again for mayor in 2018.

Hunter’s attorney, Ed Shaw, said that Hunter is “seriously” considering an appeal of the court’s decision.