A former Washtenaw County sheriff’s deputy who sued a woman for falsely claiming he raped her was awarded $1 million in damages after the woman failed to respond to the lawsuit, county court records show.

Washtenaw County Circuit Judge David Swartz entered an order of default judgment June 16 against Marianne Joseph, who was sued by Deputy Eric Kuhn, records show.

Kuhn testified about “the effects the false accusations have had on him and his family,” said his attorney, Rick Convertino.

Records show various attempts were made to serve Joseph with the lawsuit, including by a police officer hired by Convertino's firm. The officer visited Joseph's home in Superior Township on three occasions after the suit was filed Jan. 14.

According to an affidavit by the officer, he stopped by the home Jan. 21 and saw a woman believed to be Joseph look through the window, but she wouldn't come to the door.

Four days later, an older woman who said she was Joseph's mother answered the door, but "advised she could not accept service of the complaint" on Joseph's behalf, the affidavit says. The officer stopped by again on Jan. 27, but there was no answer, the affidavit says.

Other efforts were made to serve the complaint, including by mail, records show.

Joseph was sentenced June 17, 2009, to two years of probation after pleading guilty to filing a false police report in the case, records show. According to the suit, Kuhn arrested Joseph on Oct. 20, 2008, after she ran from deputies following a traffic stop in Superior Township.

While Kuhn was driving Joseph to the Washtenaw County Jail, Joseph told him if he didn't loosen her handcuffs, she would claim he raped her, the suit says. When they arrived at the jail, Joseph followed through with her threat, the suit says.

Kuhn has a federal lawsuit pending against Washtenaw County and sheriff's Lt. James Anuszkiewicz, alleging Anuszkiewicz, who is white, persisted with an internal investigation into the rape allegation in "whole or in part" because Kuhn is black.

That suit claims Kuhn took medical leave in May 2009 due to "severe emotional stress," and the county ended his employment after he requested an extension of unpaid leave beyond Jan. 3.

Lee Higgins is a reporter for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 and email at leehiggins@annarbor.com.