Posted on 09/29/2015 7:07:22 PM PDT by Elderberry
McLennan County commissioners on Tuesday approved paying almost $17,000 toward a liability insurance deductible because of a Twin Peaks-related lawsuit that named the county as a defendant and has since been dismissed.
The court agreed to pay $16,971.87 to its insurance company, the Texas Association of Counties Risk Management Pool, in a case filed by Hewitt biker Matthew Clendennen, who was mong the 177 arrested following the May 17 Twin Peaks shootout that left nine dead and 20 injured. The court also approved a payment Tuesday of more than $1,160 toward its deductible because of an unrelated case that was also dismissed.
Clendennen, the owner of a local landscaping business, claimed in his lawsuit that he was wrongfully jailed and that his business suffered because of his arrest.
Dustin Chapman, the county’s legal counsel, said the county must meet a $50,000 deductible before its risk-management pool coverage kicks in.
County leaders are compiling information to apply for $250,000 to $270,000 from the governor’s County Essential Services Program to help cover costs associated with sheriff’s deputies’ overtime and the housing and feeding of inmates after the Twin Peaks melee.
Chapman and Waco attorney Mike Dixon, who represents McLennan County and its officeholders, said Clendennen’s lawsuit is thus far the only one related to the Twin Peaks shootout that names the county as a defendant.
“We’re cautiously optimstic with what we’ve seen with regards to lawsuits,” Commissioner Ben Perry said. “This was a huge event involving hundreds of people, and I think for me to sit here and tell you we’re not concerned or worried at all is pretty shortsighted.”
County Judge Scott Felton said it’s not uncommon for municipalities and county governments to be sued, and county leaders are aware of that as they handle budget requests.
“Many of them have no basis, but you still have to defend yourself in them,” Felton said. “You still have to show up and be counted.”
When did that happen? I missed it.
I tried. Cannot post to GQ. That reply may be pulled?
hmmmm. It’s a pretty good article.
Did not realize they were on the no go list. Wonder if a “link only” is OK?
Mod?
Thanks. I have to go back and reread the Boss’s response again and again.
Just looked on the CR list - GQ is definitely listed, but, it seems to me that posting that GQ has an article about Waco published today is in bounds.
That would be my take, telling somebody about it and giving the URL is not at all the same as lifting content. Anybody who wants to read it, has to click on the link to the GQ article.
I take it the answer to the question posed to TG by Jim was “no.”
County Judge Scott Felton said it’s not uncommon for municipalities and county governments to be sued, and county leaders are aware of that as they handle budget requests.
“Many of them have no basis, but you still have to defend yourself in them,” Felton said. “You still have to show up and be counted.”
I’m curious. Where would these civil suits be heard?
TG gone dark since 9/26. Perhaps Patrick is getting serious about the race for High Sheriff of McClennan County.
I would think it would be in McLennan County Civil Court.
Yea I would think.
I wonder if it will be Judge Felton who said that although “many suits have no basis...you still have to show up?”
Sounds like to me he already has his mind made up.
You “still have to show up”. So I can dismiss the suits.
Depending on the claim, a local/state civil court or a federal district court. A plaintiff can sue in both venues. Clendennen's case was filed in the Federal District Court, Western District of Texas, Waco Division (Case 6:15-cv-00173).
Seems so!
Big shootout and multiple arrests of motorcycle club members in parking lot of Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco TX last year.
Until you eliminate the unconstitutional sovereign immunity from these guys this stuff won’t end, ever. Make it cost them personally and they’ll be more cautious and careful next time.
To be clear, then, either:
-- they were extremely skilled, wily, and accomplished outlaw gangs way above average in intelligence, seeing as how although all 177 except for one were Texas residents, the vast majority -- two thirds of them, in fact -- not only had zero convictions for crimes in the state of Texas, but had totally clean records. That's quite an accomplishment for a criminal outlaw gang member, let alone 117 of them. I mean, I gotta be honest with you, Hulka -- I know a few rough bikers, and I can't think of a single solitary one who doesn't have some kind of record, and I know for certain sure that the really bad dudes had records from the time they were 23 years old or younger. So you are certainly right, then, when you say these very, very clever and skilled bikers were "not your average group of guys." They are way, way above average and extremely accomplished.
OR ...
-- Texas police are inept boobs if they manage to let 117 of 177 violent outlaw gang members slip through their fingers again and again and again.
OR ...
Hulka is full of crap. :^)
It was this year.
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