COEUR d'ALENE - A jury in U.S. District Court returned a verdict in favor of a former Kootenai County sheriff's deputy who had been accused in a lawsuit of violating an arrestee's civil rights and groping the man's genitals.

The lawsuit was filed by attorney Larry Purviance on behalf of Coeur d'Alene resident Marc D. Yocom in October 2009. Purviance declined to comment on Wednesday's verdict.

Former deputy Charles Sciortino and the Kootenai County Sheriff's Department were represented by Peter C. Erbland of Coeur d'Alene. Sciortino now is a deputy in Spokane County.

Erbland said, "(Sciortino) should be commended for his service instead of having baseless civil rights claims made against him. We are pleased that the jury made the correct decision."

The lawsuit arose after Yocom, now 37, was arrested on the morning of Dec. 16, 2007, for driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs by Sciortino.

Yocom, who had three passengers in his vehicle, was initially pulled over for speeding on Highway 41 between Spirit Lake and Rathdrum.

Two of the passengers were arrested and hauled off by another deputy.

Yocom and another passenger, a Spokane woman who was 39 years old at the time, were taken away by Sciortino. The woman was not arrested, but Sciortino didn't want to leave her on the highway as Yocom's vehicle was going to be impounded.

Yocom and the woman had a disagreement about who was the owner of a $100 bill that was found on the seat of Sciortino's patrol vehicle.

They both claimed the cash, but the officer allowed the woman to keep it. She said she had no other money and needed to get home to Spokane.

Yocom claimed this was an unreasonable seizure of property by the deputy.

Yocom had a wallet in his pocket with more than $100 in it.

At the jail, Yocom said the officer groped him.

The jury decided Sciortino was neither responsible for an unreasonable seizure nor for groping Yocom.

Following his arrest, Yocom later pleaded guilty to driving with a suspended license and DUI. The officer smelled alcohol on Yocom's breath when he was pulled over. A blood test later showed he also had cocaine in his system.