A federal lawsuit alleges that two law enforcement officers violated the constitutional rights of a local resident during a June 2024 traffic stop, raising questions about police procedures and individual protections under the Fourth Amendment. The complaint was filed by Anna M. Durnovo in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan on March 29, 2026, naming Mackenzie Hall and Matthew Kniss—both deputy sheriffs for Kalkaska County—as defendants.
According to the court filing, Durnovo claims she was driving home from work as a nurse on June 26, 2024, when she was pulled over by Hall and Kniss on M-72 near Goose Creek Road in Kalkaska County. The complaint states that emergency lights were activated behind her vehicle, prompting her to pull onto the shoulder and stop. The document details that both deputies approached her car and conducted field sobriety tests after allegedly observing signs such as bloodshot eyes and slow movement—observations Durnovo disputes as false.
Durnovo informed both officers that she had just completed a lengthy shift at work, had not consumed alcohol or controlled substances, suffered from diabetes, and typically woke up early for work. Despite these explanations, the deputies moved her to an uneven embankment to perform balance-related sobriety tests. According to the complaint, neither officer observed signs of impairment during horizontal or vertical gaze-nystagmus tests. A preliminary breath test reportedly showed a blood-alcohol content of .000, and a subsequent search of Durnovo’s vehicle revealed no alcohol or controlled substances.
The filing alleges that Hall informed Durnovo about implied consent laws regarding alcohol testing; she consented to a blood draw under advisement of potential penalties if she refused. She was then transported to a medical facility where her blood was drawn while in custody before being taken to jail. Durnovo states she was detained for approximately twenty hours until released on June 27, 2024.
Laboratory reports from July 10 and July 31 indicated no presence of alcohol or controlled substances in Durnovo’s blood sample. Nevertheless, according to the complaint, Hall initiated criminal charges by submitting a motor vehicle code violation to the Kalkaska District Court. During this period, Durnovo faced court-ordered restrictions including remaining within Michigan without permission from the court, weekly urine testing (for which she paid $267), random drug tests upon request, posting bond ($200 plus fees), and paying jail booking fees ($33.68). These requirements remained until all charges were dismissed around August 26, 2024.
The lawsuit presents several counts under federal law (42 U.S.C §1983), alleging unlawful seizure (arrest without probable cause), unlawful search (vehicle search without warrant or probable cause), unlawful seizure of property (impoundment of vehicle), malicious prosecution (criminal charges initiated without probable cause), as well as state law claims for assault and battery related to the blood draw procedure performed at Hall’s direction.
Durnovo argues that “no reasonably trained or experienced police officer would have believed probable cause existed” for her arrest or any subsequent searches or seizures under these circumstances. She asserts emotional harm resulting from anxiety around police officers following her detention.
For each count listed in the complaint—including unlawful seizure of person and property—the plaintiff requests judgment against each defendant in an amount not less than $25,000 per count. Additionally, she seeks attorney fees as authorized by statute (42 U.S.C §1988), interest on any judgment awarded by law, exemplary damages not less than $100,000 per defendant due to alleged willful conduct intended to inflict humiliation or mental anxiety, as well as any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
The case is identified as Case No. 1:26-cv-1034 in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan. Anna M. Durnovo is represented by attorney J. Nicholas Bostic (P40653) with offices located at 909 N. Washington Ave., Lansing MI.
Source: 126cv01034_Anna_m_Durnovo_v_Mackenzie_Hall_Complaint_Western_District_of_Michigan.pdf
