Settlement
Police drew down on a woman carrying in a church and arrested her. Turns out, she hadn’t broken any law and the police arrested her for, uh, something made up I guess. The police settled the federal lawsuit. I’d have added a couple of zeros to the price tag, myself.
January 12th, 2011 at 12:14 pm
Hopefully Joel Rosenberg will get a similar happy ending with the aforementioned couple zeros added to the dollar figure.
January 12th, 2011 at 1:09 pm
I’ve made the decision that if this ever happens to me (and $7500 is chump change–I’d rather go to trial), I’m going to counteroffer with “Fire the officers involved and prevent them from getting another job with the city, and we’re even.”
Then publicize the results of that negotiation. Make examples.
January 12th, 2011 at 1:31 pm
I’m with you, wizard – since those officers won’t be ponying up any of that $7500, nor will they have to deal with any long-term consequences of their illegal (and offensive) actions, I wonder just how much has been accomplished? If they had been dismissed (or at least officially sanctioned in some way) they might have actually learned something.
January 12th, 2011 at 1:49 pm
The other thing to keep in mind is that it helps add ammunition to our current battle for better carry laws and the need for CCW in our state.
January 12th, 2011 at 3:20 pm
“I’d have added a couple of zeros to the price tag, myself.”
Hells yeah, that was a voluntary miscarriage of justice!
These settlements are not just for restitution (which I think is low) but also to make sure the Police who did wrong get the point.
January 12th, 2011 at 3:47 pm
My experience with Unitarian Universalists is that they give full and equal credence to the validity of all philosophies, save and except self-preservation.
January 12th, 2011 at 3:56 pm
Probably has to pay taxes on that 7500 to boot.
January 12th, 2011 at 4:20 pm
The going rate for shoplifters detained without adequate proof by store security is about $75k per settlement.
One more zero would be about right. Maybe two if the cops got too enthusiastic and hurt her.
January 12th, 2011 at 6:22 pm
The story about this case in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel earlier in January had this from the City of Brookfield’s attorney:
“Gunta, the city’s lawyer, said if the lawsuit is really about the principle involved, the plaintiffs should consider donating the money back to Brookfield for gun education.”
I can just imagine the “gun education” that would come out of that city.
January 14th, 2011 at 7:14 pm
@wizardpc-you have clearly never been arrested or involved in civil litigation. If you make an offer that violates qualified immunity it can’t/won’t be accepted, and it sounds like youve never heard of a non-disclosure. If you go to trial and lose your civil case against the city/officers, you can be sued yourself by both the city and the individual officers. Civil suits are the luck of the draw-you feeling that you were wronged doesn’t mean a panel will.
In regards to how much you’d get if you’d won, your attorney would have to prove damages. Was she detained? Yes. Did she spend the night in jail? No. Did she get beat up? Doesn’t sound like it. Was property confiscated? I’m honestly not sure. The 7500 price tag is the rough equivalent of one day in court. Legal fees are usually included as well. Again, just because you think you deserve $75 million dollars doesn’t mean you’ll even get more than a four digit win.
Why are there always people that respond to settlement/lawsuit posts that want the police to violate their civil rights so they can sue and make millions? I’d rather have no negative interaction with the police and be left alone. That’s nothing more than victims mentality, which is something no gun owner should have. That’s like me saying I hope some guy tries to mug me so I can shoot him. Why would I want to shoot someone?
January 16th, 2011 at 4:54 pm
Now everybody, hold on. I didn’t get the womans age from the article, but she could be one of those 80 year old nuns that the TSA is having such a problem with! A thoroughly dangerous person.
I would have gone to court and got the cops jobs and a much bigger pile of cash, from the cops personally. Unfortunately, the taxpayers are paying for the incompetence of their employees.