On July 15, 2025, Huffington filed a federal lawsuit in Baltimore, naming Cassilly, assistant prosecutor Gerard Comen, and Harford County Sheriff’s Office detectives David Saneman, William Van Horn, and Wesley J. Picha as defendants. All but Saneman are deceased.
The New Lawsuit
The suit accuses them of fabricating evidence, coercing witnesses, and suppressing exculpatory information that could have cleared him. It also claims the Harford County government bears responsibility since Cassilly acted as its policymaker during the prosecution.
“These convictions were fundamentally wrongheaded and never should have happened,” said Antonio M. Romanucci, one of Huffington’s attorneys. “John Huffington paid dearly for the insufficient investigation and prosecution with decades of his life, deep trauma to his personal relationships, and a derailment of his reputation.”
Decades of Loss
In a public statement, Huffington reflected on the emotional toll of his wrongful imprisonment.
“It took many, many painful years, but the truth eventually came out about my case,” he said. “Neither of my parents ever got to see and understand that my name was cleared and I was free.”
