Bar files suit against Warrenville police

The Satisfied Frog isn't.

The Warrenville bar at 29W012 Butterfield Road filed suit against police Monday, alleging Chief Raymond Turano and other department cops have engaged in a practice of filing baseless complaints and following its customers after they leave the bar.

The suit, filed in federal court, seeks unspecified damages. It alleges that police entered the bar on several occasions to harass and intimidate customers and engaged in a series of "retaliatory acts" against manager Jeffrey Barnes. The suit does not describe the original event for which police are retaliating, and attorney Thomas Peters declined to comment when contacted Monday. Turano could not be reached for comment.

The suit also alleges that Barnes was falsely arrested on April 28, 2006, for obstruction of a peace officer. The charge was thrown out for "failure to even allege an offense." The charge was later refiled, and officers confiscated Barnes' computer/phone with all the business records, even though it had no evidentiary value, according to the suit.

Additionally, traffic tickets were filed against Barnes, but police chose not to notify him of the tickets in an attempt to have a warrant issued for failure to appear in court, the suit charges. The charges were dismissed when officers did not show in court, the suit said.

Lastly, the suit alleges another false arrest for aggravated battery, criminal damage to property, reckless driving and possession of cannabis on Aug. 18. The suit does not say what the resolution in that case was.

Satisfied Frog was the same bar that signed a consent decree with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in May after female employees alleged sexual harassment against Jeffrey Barnes, identified as the bar's owner. The bar agreed to pay $17,000 and have Barnes stay away from the business for two years.

The business' Web site said the bar is now closed, and there was no answer at its telephone number.