Sure. And given the officers consulted the "City’s Law Director and the judges who issued the warrants," there was evidence of that disagreement. There were no similar consultations in Petersen's case.
> until officers and officials start getting held personally liable for these events, they will never stop happening
I don't believe there is evidence for this. Municipalities vigorously defend themselves for a reason. Yes, in large systems, the cost gets baked in--but Newton isn't a big nor rich town.
> he might get something from the municipality, but I doubt he'll get anything from the mayor or PD
I agree. And I think that could even be fair, especially if the mayor and cop thought they were acting according to the law. The law they relied on didn't come out of nowhere, after all.
In the end, if the only thing that comes out of this is the non-disparagement rule being struck down, I think that's a win. (I generally believe we need qualified immunity reform. But that needs to happen through statute.)