Waco Trib 11/30/2018 By TOMMY WITHERSPOON
A federal judge lifted a stay Friday in the civil rights lawsuits filed by more than 100 bikers arrested after the 2015 Twin Peaks shootout in Waco and said the lawsuits can proceed.
U.S. District Judge Alan Albright’s ruling during a 40-minute teleconference with attorneys in the cases does not include the two dozen bikers with pending criminal cases in McLennan County, only those with civil suits pending whose criminal cases have been dismissed or those who were never indicted.
The lawsuits allege McLennan County, city of Waco and state officials violated the plaintiffs’ civil rights by wrongfully arresting the bikers en masse and without probable cause after the May 2015 shootout at the former Twin Peaks restaurant that left nine bikers dead and 20 wounded. About 200 bikers were arrested and 155 initially were indicted on identical engaging in organized criminal activity cases.
The bulk of those criminal cases were dismissed after McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna was defeated by Barry Johnson in the March Republican primary.
The lawsuits were filed in Travis County, where Senior U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks had issued a stay on the civil proceedings while state and federal criminal cases against leaders of the Bandidos motorcycle group were being played out in Waco and San Antonio.
More:
https://www.wacotrib.com/news/courts_and_trials/judge-says-twin-peaks-civil-lawsuits-can-proceed/article_4e369e46-f720-5daa-8fc8-07ac41debacf.html