The battle lines were drawn today in the defamation case against former Butler County Commissioner Jim Eckstein.

On the plaintiffs’ side is former county Commissioner Dale Pinkerton, who is suing Eckstein for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and being placed in false light in one lawsuit.

Two other plaintiffs — county human resources director Lori Altman and her husband, state Trooper Scott Altman — make the same allegations in their civil complaint.

Attorney Doug Linn, who represents Pinkerton, said during opening arguments the evidence will show Eckstein had an agenda to make Pinkerton look bad.

“There was almost a vile hatred of Mr. Pinkerton,” Linn said.

Linn said Eckstein jumped on the chance to spread a rumor Pinkerton traded an employee pay hike in exchange for being let off the hook for a drunken driving pullover.

Lori Altman received an extra 20 percent pay hike in 2011. Pinkerton denies there was a DUI stop or a cover-up.

The attorney general’s office and state police found no evidence of any wrongdoing in separate investigations.

Linn showed the jury video footage of a county commissioners meeting from 2012 in which Eckstein launches a verbal assault against Pinkerton.

The video shows Eckstein accusing Pinkerton of suing him out of vindictiveness.

“He’s raping my family of their college tuition for retribution,” Eckstein said at that meeting.

Linn said the DUI rumor stems from a 2009 hospital visit from Pinkerton following a fainting spell, according to Linn.

According to Linn, the rumor took its toll on Pinkerton, who is civic-minded and previously enjoyed life.

Attorney Al Lindsay, who represents the Altmans, said his clients also suffered as a result of the rumor’s proliferation.

“It was a total fabrication,” Lindsay said.

He compared the rumor to a snake.

“The evil serpent that slithered along Butler County was the brainchild of Jim Eckstein,” Lindsay said. “He took great pride in what he created.”

Lindsay said Eckstein didn’t care the Altmans would be victims of his grudge against Pinkerton.

“The Altmans to Eckstein are simply roadkill,” Lindsay said.

The trial is expected to continue into next week.