Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette The Houghton jail.

HOUGHTON — Houghton County has been named a defendant in a civil rights law suit filed by Dean Goding, a former Houghton County Jail inmate. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court, in Marquette on Dec. 19, 2025.

According to court documents, Goding alleges that on Jan. 5, 2021, while he was an inmate in the Houghton County Jail, he was assaulted by another inmate. According to justia.com, defendants named in the suit are Keith Raffaelli, Kevin Coppo, Anthony Audio, Rudy Tikkanen, Gregory Wakeham, Doug Hebner, Joshua Saaranen and an “Unknown Party.” Goding claims the defendants failed to prevent the assault.

At the time Goding initially filed his complaint, he was incarcerated in federal prison, the report says. On August 2, 2024, the Court entered a stay of proceedings until Plaintiff was released from prison in November 2024.

According to the document, the defendants moved to dismiss the case because Goding cancelled two scheduled depositions because he was incarcerated, and argued that Goding’s incarcerations were not a reasonable excuse for failing to participate in depositions.

The Court refused to dismiss the suit, according to the report, because the defendants failed to explain why they were unable to take Goding’s deposition while he was incarcerated in the Crawford County Jail, or while he is incarcerated in federal prison.

On December 2, 2024, the Court entered an Amended Case Management Order. Discovery was set to end on June 30, 2025. Defendants noticed Plaintiff’s deposition for June 16, 2025. Just before the scheduled deposition, Goding was arrested and placed in the Crawford County Jail. Goding’s attorneys notified Houghton County’s defense counsel the morning of the deposition and the deposition was cancelled.

On August 20, 2025, the Court entered an order extending discovery until October 15, 2025. Houghton County rescheduled Goding’s deposition to be taken on October 2, 2025. On September 30, 2025, Plaintiff’s counsel informed defense counsel that Plaintiff was again incarcerated in federal prison, in Pennsylvania, and the deposition was again cancelled. Goding is scheduled for release from federal prison on June 10, 2026.

Houghton County Sheriff Joshua Saaranen said he was in the position of detective at the time Goding alleges he was assaulted. The suit was filed after he took the sheriff position.

“They don’t name the Sheriff’s Office,” said Saaranen. “It’s my name specifically, and there’s four or five people – everybody who was working that day.”

Saaranen said he cannot comment on the case because he is named in the suit.

“I’m named as a defendant in that case and being represented by legal council,” Saaranen said. “That’s been an ongoing case that was supposed to be done in October or December, and it’s being pushed out.”