Prisoner Awarded $12,500 In Trial Against Guards

ADRIAN, Mich. (AP) - A jury has awarded $12,500 to a Michigan prisoner who accused three guards of retaliating against him for his cooperation in an investigation.

Jurors said Randall Griffin's First Amendment rights were violated at the Harrison prison in Adrian. The 7-1 verdict was reached Tuesday in Ann Arbor federal court.

Griffin said he received threats and false misconduct tickets after participating in an investigation of prison officer Louis Condon. Griffin says Condon and others accused him of trying to change things at the prison. Separately, he was part of a group of inmates advising the warden.

Much of the $12,500 verdict is in the form of punitive damages, which are considered punishment for the guards' actions. The 48-year-old Griffin is serving a life sentence for murder.

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