Caseyville police chief Roth and Village sued by officer claiming slander

The Caseyville chief of police is accused of spreading false information about one of his officers.

Scott Miller filed a lawsuit April 1 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against J.D. Roth and the Village of Caseyville.

According to the complaint, Miller works as an officer in the Caseyville Police Department.

In April 2012 Miller says Chief of Police Roth made several defamatory and false statements about him. Those statements allegedly included allegations of Miller being a "leak" of information about the operations of the police department.

Miller claims those accusations were repeated publicly multiple times, yet the city did nothing to stop or discipline Roth for his comments.

Miller is suing Roth and the village for slander. He seeks a judgment of more than $250,000 in damages, which include compensatory and punitive damages, plus costs of the lawsuit.

In March, Roth was placed on administrative leave, according to a  report in the Belleville News-Democrat. The report states that Roth is subject of an ongoing grand jury investigation.

Among other things, the newspaper reported that Roth is being investigated in connection with his alleged use of a vehicle seized as part of a drug investigation and that he used that vehicle – a 2003 Dodge Ram – for personal and police use. He allegedly put 65,000 miles on the vehicle and charged the village $6,000 in maintenance costs.

The newspaper also reported that, according to a copy of an evidence log, cash seized in a drug investigation had gone missing during Roth’s tenure as chief.

Attorney John J. Hopkins of Alton represents Miller. They ask for a jury trial.

St. Clair County Circuit Court Case No. 13-L-168