GALVESTON - The original petition in a Santa Fe attorney's defamation lawsuit has recently been amended to include other individuals and entities.
Michael L. Aldous revised his legal complaint against Pearland residents Eric Bruss and Silvia Sandoval on Oct. 26 to include more respondents. The most notable additions include the city of Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Police Department, the Santa Fe Police Officer's Association, the Texas Municipal Police Association, Police News Pub and Santa Fe Mayor Ralph Stenzel.
League City attorneys Greg Cagle and Dan Krieger; Police News editor Breck Porter; Santa Fe residents Jim Abney, Robert Powers, David Burd and Wayne Kessler; Texas City local Steve Bock; Alvin natives Debbie and Dale O'Connor and numerous John Does are also defendants in the case.
Aldous first sued Bruss and Sandoval six months ago in response to the formerly married couple reportedly making defamatory statements about him in retaliation for his father's actions after an arrest in 2009.
The lawsuit explains that Bruss and Sandoval labeled Aldous "dangerous," "a threat" and "unstable" in an attempt to discredit formal complaints by Aldous and his father against Bruss, a Santa Fe police officer.
It further argues Bruss and Sandoval proceeded to defame him by showing third parties his picture and making false statements about him, insisting he was slandered.
Aldous's amended petition insists the newly added defendants "acted in concert from the onset of the defamation in attempts to attack the integrity, the professional reputation and character of the plaintiff."
"The statements of the various defendants' ill will to run the plaintiff and his family out of town provide the intent of their malicious conduct," the 11-page document says.
Case No. 11-cv-824