Fort Worth

‘Garden of Eden' Owner Sues City of Arlington

Commune says 2013 raid by police SWAT team should never have happened

A so-called "hippie commune" in Arlington filed a lawsuit against the city Monday over a police raid two years ago which found nothing illegal.

The Garden of Eden, where members live and grow their own food, was raided in August 2013 by a police SWAT team after a detective obtained a warrant to search for marijuana.

The property is located in the 7000 block of Mansfield Cardinal Road.

The lawsuit claims that police were heavy handed, never had probable cause to raid the facility and based the search largely on an anonymous tip and a flyover, which spotted what looked like marijuana plants.

The plants turned out to be tomatoes.

In a statement, assistant Arlington city attorney Melinda Barlow said the city is reviewing the lawsuit.

"It appears that the factual recitations are not wholly accurate and the city will be responding in the due course of the litigation," she said.

The case was filed in federal court in Fort Worth.

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