Former Horizon Farms owner sues forest preserve over trespassing arrest
A former owner of the Horizon Farms property in Barrington Hills is suing the Forest Preserve of Cook County, claiming her civil rights were violated last year when she was arrested on a charge of trespassing on the 400-acre horse farm.
According to the suit, Meryl Squires Cannon was seized and handcuffed by forest preserve police when she arrived at the farm to tend to horses at 6 a.m. Aug. 13, 2014, a little more than three months after the forest preserve acquired the property through a legally disputed foreclosure sale.
At a trial in April, Cannon argued she was on the property lawfully as an employee of Royalty Farms LLC, a company paid to take care of horses at Horizon Farms. A Cook County judge acquitted Cannon, ruling that prosecutors had not proved the allegations.
In the federal civil rights lawsuit filed this month, Cannon's lawyers allege that members of the Cook County Forest Preserve had her arrested to intimidate and harass her.
"We think that the evidence will show there was a pre-existing plan by forest preserve personnel and management," attorney Robert J. Slobig said. "The officer was actually lying in wait for her and we are able to prove that was due to instructions that had come down from headquarters."
A forest preserve spokeswoman declined to comment on the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims the forest preserve wanted to intimidate Cannon to gain an undue advantage over her in other pending litigation stemming from the property's sale.
Horizon Farms was in foreclosure when acquired by the forest preserve in 2013 for $14.5 million. The Cannons filed suit, claiming the forest preserve district didn't have legal standing to complete the sale, because the Cannons were still trying to work out a deal to get out of the 2009 foreclosure and reclaim the land.
In May, a state appellate court upheld a lower court's 2014 decision in the forest preserve's favor. The Cannons are now asking the Illinois Supreme Court to consider the appeal.
A court date has not yet been set for the new lawsuit.