Noles v. Layne (3:22-cv-00127) was a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by Winston Wesley Noles against Brittany Layne in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas on January 19, 2022. It settled at a magistrate-led conference in February 2023 and was dismissed by stipulation on March 10, 2023. The terms were not disclosed.1PACER Monitor. Noles v. Layne, 3:22-cv-00127
What the Lawsuit Alleged
Noles, a Texas resident born in 1986, named Layne as the sole defendant and brought the case as a civil rights action under 28 U.S.C. § 1331. It was assigned to Judge Barbara M. G. Lynn.1PACER Monitor. Noles v. Layne, 3:22-cv-00127 Filings on the docket included a probable cause affidavit and a magistrate’s determination of probable cause, which point to an arrest or detention carried out by Layne as the underlying event. The specific claims in the complaint are not publicly detailed in the available docket records.
Layne answered the amended complaint on June 30, 2022, and demanded a jury, so the defense was initially positioned for trial.2PACER Monitor. Noles v. Layne, Answer to Amended Complaint Noles was represented by attorney Eliot Shavin.3PACER Monitor. Noles v. Layne, Joint Status Report Regarding Settlement
How the Case Ended
The parties filed a joint status report on settlement in June 2022, and the court referred the case to Magistrate Judge Rebecca Rutherford.3PACER Monitor. Noles v. Layne, Joint Status Report Regarding Settlement A first settlement conference on September 1, 2022, did not produce an agreement. A second conference on February 23, 2023, did. Layne filed a stipulation of dismissal on March 10, 2023, and the case was terminated the same day. No monetary amount or other terms appear in the public docket, and no appeal was filed.1PACER Monitor. Noles v. Layne, 3:22-cv-00127
How It Relates to Noles’s Earlier Case
The Layne suit is separate from an earlier federal case Noles brought against two Royse City police officers, Noles v. Dial (3:20-cv-03677). That case arose from a 2018 roadside protest and a resulting 2019 misdemeanor charge for interference with public duties under Texas Penal Code § 38.15(b) in Rockwall County.4MyTexasDefenseLawyer. State of Texas vs. Noles, Winston Wesley, CR19-1579 Noles alleged under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 that Officer Nick Dial punched protest signs from his hands and arrested him, and that Officer Keith Short turned his tripod camera away to stop him from filming.5GovInfo. Noles v. Dial, Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendation Noles v. Dial was dismissed with prejudice in March 2023.6GovInfo. Noles v. Dial, Order Accepting Findings and Recommendation Layne was not a defendant in Dial, and the Dial officers were not defendants in the Layne case.