Judge tosses lawsuit of ex-tow truck company owner

A Merced County Superior Court judge has dismissed a $15 million lawsuit filed by a former local tow-truck company owner who claimed he was falsely arrested by Merced County sheriff's deputies.

Judge Carol Ash on June 18 dismissed a lawsuit filed by Randal Wright, the former owner of RTS Towing. Wright claimed he was arrested last year on false charges and AAA ended its contract with his business as a result, causing it to go under.

Wright was arrested in March 2009 by deputies on suspicion of perjury, for allegedly contacting the California Highway Patrol and falsely reporting his 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac stolen.

The perjury charge was later dropped by Merced County proseuctors, but Wright was subsequently convicted in another case of unlawfully taking a black Mercedes Benz G55 from a Fresno dealership in December 2008.

In dismissing Wright's civil suit, Judge Ash agreed with the county's contention there'd been probable cause to arrest him. County attorneys filed a motion to dismiss Wright's civil suit, based on his failure to amend his complaint within the time allowed by the court.

Wright had 30 days to amend his civil complaint and didn't, causing Ash to grant the county's motion and dismiss the lawsuit, according to court documents.

Wright had been scheduled to begin serving a six-month sentence earlier this month, but remains free while a state appeals court reviews a motion to withdraw his no-contest plea in the in the auto theft case .

Reporter Victor A. Patton can be reached at (209) 385-2431 or vpatton@mercedsun-star.com

This story was originally published June 28, 2010 at 5:36 AM with the headline "Judge tosses lawsuit of ex-tow truck company owner."