COEUR d'ALENE - A federal jury ruled Tuesday in favor of a Coeur d'Alene Police officer accused of groping a then 19-year-old woman during a traffic stop and subsequent DUI arrest in August 2008.

The eight-member jury in U.S. District Court ruled Natalie J. Reighard's constitutional rights weren't violated when officer Jared Reneau completed a pat-down search during her arrest.

"We're very pleased, of course, that the jury found that officer Reneau acted appropriately during the arrest," said Randall Adams, attorney for Reneau. "He followed procedures accepted by departments all over the county. . .And it is good for a jury to recognize that."

The city, along with two other officers who had been at the traffic stop, had been dropped from the suit before it went to trial.

The suit, filed by Reighard's attorney Larry Purviance in 2009, alleged the officer had inappropriately touched Reighard, who was wearing a light material dress with no pockets, and nothing underneath, during the pat-down.

"What are you doing?" Reighard said to the officer during the search.

The high-profile case received media attention. The Press posted a video of the traffic stop, captured by a police cruiser's dash camera, on its website, along with a news article about the suit, in 2009.

At the time the lawsuit was filed, Purviance told The Press Reighard had been swimming prior to the police stop.

According to the article, Reighard told officers after the traffic stop that she had been drinking - half a glass of wine almost five hours earlier.

She was given a field sobriety test, arrested, handcuffed and subjected to the physical search.

Purviance said at the time that Reighard's blood alcohol level was .02, under the legal limit of .08 needed for an adult DUI conviction.

Purviance could not be reached for comment.

The charge against her was eventually amended to inattentive driving, and she was placed on probation, the article stated.

The city of Coeur d'Alene and its police department have been involved in nine cases filed by Purviance. Tuesday's verdict is the fifth in favor of the city or the police department or both, while three have been dismissed in summary judgment. Summary judgment is when a judge rules before trial that not enough evidence exists to warrant the case moving forward.

"In terms of the police department, I don't know if (Tuesday's verdict) is any more or less satisfying than any of the other cases," Adams said. "The police believed they were doing their job in a professional manner, and the jury agreed. All the juries agreed."

One case involving the Coeur d'Alene Police Department is still pending.

It alleges that two Coeur d'Alene officers used excessive force after they arrested Theresa Lynn Campbell at Kootenai Medical Center, who had checked in as patient in January, 2009.

A jury trial is set for July 30, according to court documents.

Coeur d'Alene Police Chief Wayne Longo declined comment, but referred to the city's legal department.

“I think with all of them, we’re pleased but not surprised by the results,” City Attorney Mike Gridley said.