Disgraced Ukiah police sergeant ordered to pay $1 million in rape lawsuit

A woman who claimed disgraced Ukiah police sergeant Kevin Murray raped her twice was awarded $1 million in Mendocino County Superior Court this week.

Corinne Johnson filed her lawsuit in December 2022 after Murray was fired from the Ukiah police department after he sexually assaulted a woman after breaking into her hotel room. Eight years after her alleged rape by Murray, Johnson saw a chance for justice.

Richard Sax, Johnson’s Santa Rosa-based attorney, said his office took on the case because of the “seriousness” of Johnson’s allegations.

The original civil lawsuit named both Murray and the Ukiah Police Department (UPD) as defendants and alleged that the UPD “knew, or with the exercise of reasonable care, should have known” that Murray was unfit to serve as a police officer.

However, former Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Janine Nadel ruled that the department bore no responsibility for Murray’s actions because he was off-duty at the time, prompting Sax to amend the lawsuit to exclude the UPD.

Murray did not respond to Johnson’s civil suit, resulting in a default judgment. This means that he did not provide testimony or evidence during the trial or refute Johnson’s claims. After his default, he was barred from speaking in court.

Sax called the $1 million judgment “reparation” for Johnson and “accountability” for Murray. Sax isn’t sure if they can collect the amount, but plans to investigate Murray’s possible real estate holdings and wage garnishments.

It’s important to note that her case was decided in civil court, not criminal court, where a different standard of proof applies. In criminal cases, the state must prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In civil cases, the plaintiff only has to prove that his allegations are more true than false. This is called the “preponderance of the evidence” standard.

Johnson’s lawsuit details a graphic sequence of sexual abuse. The first alleged incident occurred on April 10, 2014, when Johnson was still grieving the loss of her dog, which had been attacked and killed by another dog the day before. The lawsuit states that Murray arrived at her home around 11:30 p.m., drunk and in civilian clothes. Despite her initial shock and reluctance, Johnson allowed him to stay and sit on the sofa. However, the lawsuit describes that things quickly changed when Murray began touching her breasts without her consent and then asked to perform oral sex on her. When she refused, he allegedly said, “Just let me put my dick in your mouth.” Afterward, he left and Johnson was reportedly alone, “shocked and horrified.”

The second alleged incident occurred approximately two to three months later. The prosecution alleges that Murray returned to Jane Doe’s house again drunk around 11 p.m. This time, he allegedly forced her into a bedroom, pinned her arms behind her back and forced her face down in bed. He then pulled out a fixed blade knife and a .357 semi-automatic pistol, the prosecution alleges. Johnson noticed that the weapon was similar to the one he carried on duty. After brandishing the weapons, Murray allegedly raped her vaginally.

After the assault, the lawsuit says, Johnson noticed her 14-year-old son had just come home and told Murray he had to leave immediately. He obeyed, but allegedly left his weapons behind. Then Johnson’s son entered the room and saw the weapons on the floor. She quickly hid them in her purse and ordered him to leave the room.

Johnson did not report the incidents at the time because she feared disbelief and possible consequences. Instead, she wrote a letter to be read at a possible criminal trial against Murray. In it, she called him a “rapist,” “thief,” “kidnapper,” and “liar,” and accused him of abusing his power as a police officer.

Ten years later, Johnson still has nightmares and trouble sleeping. “I will always know that I was raped by a police officer. I thought that police officer was my friend,” she said.

Murray’s documented misconduct extends beyond Johnson’s case. In 2018, he assaulted a tenant in a Ukiah apartment building, resulting in a $1,050,000 payment from the City of Ukiah. He is also involved in another civil lawsuit accusing him of sexually harassing a fellow Ukiah Police Department officer after forcibly gaining entry to her hotel room. Murray was ultimately fired from the Ukiah Police Department in early 2021 after he allegedly forcibly gained entry to the hotel room of a woman he had arrested and sexually assaulted her. Investigators discovered methamphetamine in his work locker around that time. After his firing and multiple charges, Murray was charged for allegedly stealing a woman’s wallet from a Lakeport grocery store.

The Sonoma County Probation Department recommended a one-year prison sentence for Murray because his offenses showed “criminal sophistication.” However, Murray pleaded guilty to charges of deterring or discouraging a victim from reporting a crime and was sentenced to two years’ probation and a two-year suspended sentence. Community members condemned the deal, fearing Murray might pursue his career as a police officer elsewhere.

California Senate Bill 2, which established a system for revoking or suspending police officers who commit “serious misconduct,” ultimately prevented Murray from continuing to serve in the police force. His police credentials were officially revoked because his actions met several of the nine behaviors considered “serious misconduct,” including dishonesty, abuse of power, and physical or sexual abuse.

Johnson believes Murray is a product of a corrupt “good old boys club” that “looked the other way” instead of addressing his misconduct. “You are only as good as your weakest link. It is every officer’s job to do the right thing. Everyone has a responsibility.”

Johnson said the $1 million settlement represents “justice.” When she appeared before Judge Anne Moorman, “I was actually listened to instead of judged. I was taken care of. I was heard and the response was appropriate.”

“If it hurts him to pay me, then I’m happy. He got away with so much, it had to stop,” Johnson said. She hopes her lawsuit will encourage more women to speak out. “I’m not sure I’ve done that. I’ve tried.”

During the trial, Johnson said, Murray glared at her and pushed past her on the courthouse steps, which she described as an attempt to intimidate her. Although they reported the incident to Ukiah police, officers did not take action because they allegedly found no evidence of an assault in the surveillance footage. Johnson insists, “He attacked me with his body language.”

Now well on her way to becoming a nurse, Johnson is looking to the future. She’s considering taking up running, a hobby she gave up after her rape, to rebuild her body and mind. Even though she won her case, she still feels, “There’s not as much good out there as I thought.”

Our coverage of the Kevin Murray case