Ok, time for a reality check. I've never heard of "Tort Reform" being described as the absence of litigation. Since when did it become un-conservative to defend yourself? It's not like JimRob is pulling a Dr. Evil and asking for $100 billion. There is absolutely nothing unreasonable or unconservative about defending yourself and seeking fair restitution for damages inflicted.
More than you or I can ever fully appreciate, Free Republic is more than just a website to Jim Rob. Free Republic, Jim Rob, every member of Free Republic, and the principles upon which Jim Rob created this site have been maliciously attacked. I can certainly understand, and fully support his decision to settle this in a courtroom.
If someone burned down your house, would you not seek financial restitution for your losses?
That was the first thought that popped into my mind when I saw the figure of A MILLION DOLLARS. And, yes, Tort Reform - a huge GOP issue - does figure into this. One of its planks is the introduction of reality and common sense when calculating actual damages. Another is the complete rethinking of the idea of "punitive damages," which are of especially questionable value when suing a small municipality.
If any damages payable to the plaintiff in this case come from taxpayer funds then, yes, any association between conservatism and this lawsuit will be a joke.