I'm not real familiar with this case, but it appears a little common sense may have prevailed, for a change. Maybe just the right jury pool.



The family of a black man who was killed by a Florida deputy is baffled after a jury award them four cents as compensation for his death.

Jurors in Fort Pierce determined last week that St. Lucie County Sheriff’s deputy Christopher Newman had not used excessive force when he shot Gregory Hill three times during a confrontation in 2014, and that Sheriff Ken Mascara had been a bit negligent, according to The New York Times.

The jurors determined that Hill was 99 percent responsible for his death because he was drunk when he was shot by Newman who was responding to a noise complaint.

The estate was awarded $4, but the family would only get one percent of that. John Phillips, the family’s lawyer, told The New York Times that a judge would reduce the award to nothing because of the jury’s ruling.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Hill’s fiancée, Monique Davis, told the newspaper. “There are a lot of questions I want to ask.”

The incident occurred in January 2014 after one of Hill’s neighbors heard loud music coming from his garage. Newman and Deputy Edward Lopez responded and when Hill opened the door, police said Hill was holding a gun and was ordered to drop it, according to The New York Times.

At some point the door was closed and Newman fired his weapon four times, hitting Hill in the head once and in the abdomen twice. A SWAT team eventually opened the door to find Hill dead. A gun was found in Hill’s back pocket but it wasn’t loaded.

Jurors failed to reach a consensus in the hours before the verdict. Phillips told the newspaper that some jurors appeared “incensed.”

“It seems like jurors gave up,” Phillips said.

Mascara said in a statement posted on his department’s Facebook page that he was “pleased” to see the incident come to an end.

“Deputy Newman was placed in a very difficult situation, and like so many fellow law enforcement officers must do every day, he made the best decision he could for the safety of his partner, himself, and the public given the circumstances he faced,” Mascara said. “We appreciate the jury’s time and understanding and wish everyone involved in this case the best as they move forward.”


http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018...-florida-deputy.html

Saw the story a day or two ago and laughed my ass off. That was the biggest slap in the face these families can get. No get rich quick bullshit. Nope. A simple FUCK YOU and enough money to buy a pound or two of Morton's salt, just to rub it in

The lawyer gets half

Mascara don't run!

And don't forget to include this on your tax return.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
The lawyer gets half

Well, he did put in his two cents worth.

I wish we could see the actual verdict and ruling video...

"We find for the plantiff and award damages in the amount of four dollars...."

Because you know when they heard they 'won', they probably got all excited....

Then a WUT Moment...

"$4??? Not $4 MILLION dollars???"

Is this in lump sum or installment payments?

They better get a good investment advisor and tax lawyer.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
The lawyer gets half

Maybe one of the lawyers here can answer this. Because there was an award as small as it may be, does the City/County have to pay the plaintiffs legal fees?

quote:

Originally posted by Bulldog7972:
Maybe one of the lawyers here can answer this. Because there was an award as small as it may be, does the City/County have to pay the plaintiffs legal fees?

As I understand it, most states do not have a "loser pays" law, but I would like to see them implemented nationwide. It would certainly cut down on the frivolous lawsuits brought by ambulance chasers.

Sometimes on the game that is the ghetto lottery you don't get all seven numbers....sometime you only get one.

Seems fair to me.

quote:

Originally posted by Bigboreshooter:
Is this in lump sum or installment payments?

The ultimate insult would be to pay with a single Canadian penny annually to extend it to 5 years instead of 4 years

Would have been better off with a SC Christmas Lottery ticket.

Next step is to call JG Wentworth so they can get an advance on that "structured settlement"

Now they can finally get that pack of chewing gum they've had their eye on for so long,

The fancy chewing gum like Beechnut licorice flavor that you can only get at places like South-of-the-Border or in Branson.

Ken

If the dude refused to drop the gun, methinks that that’s 4 cents too many.