09-09-2015, 12:37 PM
Freddie Gray - Baltimore Settles with Family
A Baltimore city board Wednesday approved a $6.4 million settlement with the family of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died a week after he was critically injured while in police custody.
The settlement, announced Tuesday, could play a role in whether a judge decides to move the trials for the six officers charged in Gray's death out of the city. The city has stated that the settlement in no way implies guilt on the part of the six officers charged in Freddie Gray's death.
The Board of Estimates voted unanimously to approve the settlement Wednesday morning, just a day before Judge Barry Williams will hear arguments on whether the trials should be moved to a different jurisdiction. Defense attorneys have asked for a change of venue, citing pre-trial publicity and concern that the officers will not receive fair trials if they are tried in Baltimore.
"The purpose of the civil settlement is to bring an important measure of closure to the family, the community and the city and to avoid years of protracted civil litigation and potential harm to the community and divisiveness with may likely result."
(Some) Other Damage Awards/Settlements:
-Yesterday, a Cleveland jury awarded the family of Kenny Smith, a 20-year-old black man, $5.5 million in damages for his shooting death at the hands of Cleveland PD officer Roger Jones outside a night club in 2011. Jones wasn't charged criminally in the case, but the jury found him liable for damages as a result of his use of excessive force.
-In July, New York City settled for $5.9 million with the family of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who died after being put in a white police officer's chokehold. There were no criminal charges filed against the officers.
-The city of Chicago settled in 2001 a wrongful death lawsuit by the family of LaTanya Haggerty, a black woman who was shot to death by a police officer who thought her cellphone was a weapon, for $18 million. Three officers were fired for violation of policy in that case.
I'm glad to see police departments implementing body cams -- I think they'll help officers and the residents they police to be safer. And, hopefully the cost of the body cams will be offset by savings on such wrongful death civil suits and city settlements.
Refs:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/baltimore-ap...gray-case/
http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/i..._fami.html
A Baltimore city board Wednesday approved a $6.4 million settlement with the family of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died a week after he was critically injured while in police custody.
The settlement, announced Tuesday, could play a role in whether a judge decides to move the trials for the six officers charged in Gray's death out of the city. The city has stated that the settlement in no way implies guilt on the part of the six officers charged in Freddie Gray's death.
The Board of Estimates voted unanimously to approve the settlement Wednesday morning, just a day before Judge Barry Williams will hear arguments on whether the trials should be moved to a different jurisdiction. Defense attorneys have asked for a change of venue, citing pre-trial publicity and concern that the officers will not receive fair trials if they are tried in Baltimore.
"The purpose of the civil settlement is to bring an important measure of closure to the family, the community and the city and to avoid years of protracted civil litigation and potential harm to the community and divisiveness with may likely result."
(Some) Other Damage Awards/Settlements:
-Yesterday, a Cleveland jury awarded the family of Kenny Smith, a 20-year-old black man, $5.5 million in damages for his shooting death at the hands of Cleveland PD officer Roger Jones outside a night club in 2011. Jones wasn't charged criminally in the case, but the jury found him liable for damages as a result of his use of excessive force.
-In July, New York City settled for $5.9 million with the family of Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who died after being put in a white police officer's chokehold. There were no criminal charges filed against the officers.
-The city of Chicago settled in 2001 a wrongful death lawsuit by the family of LaTanya Haggerty, a black woman who was shot to death by a police officer who thought her cellphone was a weapon, for $18 million. Three officers were fired for violation of policy in that case.
I'm glad to see police departments implementing body cams -- I think they'll help officers and the residents they police to be safer. And, hopefully the cost of the body cams will be offset by savings on such wrongful death civil suits and city settlements.
Refs:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/baltimore-ap...gray-case/
http://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/i..._fami.html