A Fairview, Oregon man who spent three years in jail awaiting trial in a decades-old Vancouver murder case is now suing the city of Vancouver, alleging malicious prosecution after charges against him were dismissed in 2022.

The lawsuit, filed this week in U.S. District Court, stems from the 2019 arrest of Michael Joseph Green, who was accused in connection with the 1994 killing of Vancouver resident Denise Stafford. Prosecutors at the time alleged that newly tested DNA evidence connected Green to the crime, but the case eventually collapsed when defense experts raised doubts about the reliability of that evidence and the integrity of the testing process.

Clark County Superior Court dismissed the charges against Green in December 2022 upon motion from the prosecution, citing insufficient evidence to proceed.

According to court filings, Green’s new complaint argues that the investigative methods used by Vancouver police and forensic analysts were “reckless” and that their actions deprived him of liberty without due process. He spent more than 1,000 days in jail while awaiting trial.

The city of Vancouver and its police department had not publicly responded to the lawsuit as of Thursday afternoon. 

The renewed litigation follows a broader national trend of individuals seeking damages after extended pretrial detention in cases later dismissed or overturned. Green’s complaint seeks unspecified damages and attorney’s fees.

In an earlier statement, Green’s attorney described the ordeal as “a systemic failure that upended an innocent man’s life.”

This case may prompt renewed scrutiny over how cold-case forensic evidence is vetted before charges are filed, particularly when older DNA evidence is reanalyzed using modern technology.

Primary reporting on the initial case dismissal is available from The Columbian’s 2022 coverage of the dismissal.

As of publication, no hearings have yet been scheduled in the federal lawsuit.