The Indiana Supreme Court ruled last Monday that the state must pay for damages in a case involving the death of a dog and a false arrest from over a decade ago.

In the case, a woman hit and killed the dog of a conservation officer, left the scene, and returned later with her boyfriend to apologize for hitting the dog. Months later the conservation officer accused the woman of leaving the scene of the accident which she claimed led to her being falsely arrested.

The court ruled unanimously that while the officers accusation of “fleeing the scene” was non-criminal, the state must still pay for the damages of the false arrest.