An Ojai attorney evicted from a candidate's forum last year plans to sue the Sheriff's Department for false arrest, use of excessive force and restricting her right to free speech.

Cathy Elliott Jones, 50, filed a claim against the county and Ojai Sheriff's Capt. Bruce Norris in February seeking $10 million in damages. A claim is the requisite first step toward suing a public entity. The county rejected the claim March 22, and Jones now says she is prepared to "take this all the way if they don't settle."

"You don't just drag people out of an informal meeting for asking a question," Jones said. "This wasn't an official public meeting, there were no rules of order in place. I don't even know why Capt. Norris was there or in what capacity."

The incident, videotaped by an audience member and posted on the Internet on YouTube, erupted at an Oct. 16 forum for Ojai City Council candidates hosted by the Ojai Chamber of Commerce and the Ojai Valley News.

Jones had submitted a question to the moderator regarding City Attorney Monte Widders and a conflict of interest. When a question was read asking the candidates to evaluate the performance of Widders, Jones stepped forward and shouted, "That's not my question! You didn't answer my question!"

Norris, dressed in plain clothes, approached Jones and asked her to stop disrupting the meeting held in Chaparral High School's auditorium. Jones told Norris to get away from her. A moment later, the video shows Norris taking Jones by the arm and pulling her toward a side door.

Jones struggled with Norris and held onto the door jamb. Once outside, she continued screaming and held onto a handrail. Norris called two deputies to the scene who arrested Jones on suspicion of disrupting the meeting, assaulting an officer and resisting arrest. She was handcuffed, placed in the back of a patrol car and taken to Ventura County Medical Center for evaluation.

Jones claims she was bruised during the incident, and was weak from an appendectomy a week earlier.

Jones was cited and released later that night. The District Attorney's Office declined to file charges.

Norris said Monday he could not comment on the specifics of the case, because of the potential lawsuit.

"I have no ill will toward Cathy Jones ... it's unfortunate this has gotten to the point of going to civil court," Norris said.

In an Oct. 18 story published in The Star, Norris was quoted saying he asked Jones to leave first and pulled her out only when she refused.

"She interfered with the public meeting that was in progress," Norris said. "I tried to intervene to quiet her down, and it just didn't work the meeting wasn't able to continue. Obviously, in that environment, you don't want to arrest anyone, but I felt I had no other choice."