Posted on 04/29/2005 7:43:10 PM PDT by kingattax
After eight years and three trials, a group of protesters whose eyes were swabbed with pepper spray during a series of anti-logging demonstrations finally won their case Thursday against Humboldt County sheriff's deputies and Eureka police -- but were awarded only $1 each in damages.
A federal jury deliberated for about 12 hours starting Tuesday before returning its verdict, finding that law enforcement had used excessive force while trying to break up three different protests in the fall of 1997, including one at then-Rep. Frank Riggs' Eureka office and another at the Scotia headquarters of the Pacific Lumber Co.
It was the third time the civil case has gone to trial in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. The first two trials -- one in 1998 and the other in 2004 -- ended in deadlocked juries.
This time, Attorney Dennis Cunningham asked the jurors to award Spring Lundberg, who was 17 at the time of the protests, and the other seven plaintiffs in the case between $10,000 and $100,000 for pain and suffering. Despite the jury's paltry award, he said his clients feel vindicated.
"It was never about the money," Cunningham said. "It was always about the principle."
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
As long as we have a value established, police department can now budget for this expense.
Yes, ka-chink!
After three trials and innumerable hearings, this poor bastard is crying in his beer because 70% of a $1 award really sucks from the vapiric blood-sucking trial attorney perspective.
Message from the jury: "You were right, and we don't care."
I don't know, but the federal judge can also award attorney fees which will run into the millions?
That's one helluva lawyer. He really earned his fee.
Only ONE DOLLAR? I would give each one a dollar just to have the privelege of spraying each one in the eyes with some DAVE'S INSANITY SAUCE!
Riiiiiiiight, if that's your story you stick to it. lol
Let's hope so.
Good! It's called a life-lesson. Everybody gets them. They're what keep us from putting our hands on the fireplace glass a second time, they're what remind us to drive slower in the snow, they're what keep most of us from dumping on other people.
Good for the jury - they will never work again (as jurors).
Hey! I would pay $1 to pepper spray a protester! This sounds like great fun!
If an anti-logging protestor gets pepper-sprayed and falls down in the woods, do they make a sound?
I would ask "If an anti-logging protestor gets pepper-sprayed and falls down in the woods, does anyone care?
The dim witted protesters are too stupid to see that with an award of one dollar each to the the pepper sprayees, the jury was giving them the finger as they so rightfully deserve. Had the Jury merely found the Pepper sprayers not guilty, they would have had no way to express their contempt for the sprayees.
Definite improper use of pepper spray. But the reward is justified. All the officers deserve is a reprimand. The hippies were breaking the law. They deserve one dollar and not a cent more.
Yes, yes it does, I may have been tempted to spray em myself... They were breaking the law and deserved to be arrested. I think there would have been no lawsuit at all except that they used the pepper spray inappropriately. If they'd of just blasted em in the face with it instead of actually rubbing it in there eyes. I like how Homer Simpson while chained to a tree cut it down by running around the tree to avoid the police and the spinning of the chain cut it down. :)
Or... "If an anti-logging protester gets pepper-sprayed and falls down in the woods, they will be low enough to the ground that the loggers can then cut down the tree"
Exactly.
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