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Family of electrocuted thief gets $75,000
Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 2-25-2003 | DAN ROZEK

Posted on 02/25/2003 7:16:34 AM PST by Cagey

The family of a convicted burglar who was electrocuted in 1997 when he tried to break in to a bar in Aurora after-hours and triggered a homemade booby trap has been awarded a $75,000 jury verdict to be paid by the owners of the bar and the property.

Larry Harris was wrong to try to break in to George O's Place, but the bar and property owners share responsibility for his death, the Kane County jury reasoned in ordering the wrongful-death payout after a two-week trial.

Frustrated after three burglaries at his tavern in a month, Jessie Ingram installed the homemade security system in late July 1997. He jury-rigged the inside of the bar's windows so anyone breaking in would get a strong shock, then posted several warning signs outside, including one outside the window Harris broke in through.

Drunk and high on cocaine, Harris, 37, either didn't see or ignored the warnings. He forced open a rear window and crawled in, triggering the homemade, electrified booby trap just five days after it was installed.

In a verdict returned Friday, jurors placed 50 percent of the blame for the death on Harris, but assigned the bar's owners 40 percent and placed 10 percent on the property's owner.

No criminal charges were filed.

Jurors weren't allowed to be told that Harris was drunk and on cocaine, nor that he had served time in prison for two burglary convictions.

The verdict sends a message that property owners can't use lethal security systems to defend their homes and businesses, said John Winters, the Chicago lawyer who represented Harris' mother and brother in the civil case.

"You can't set these type of traps because property isn't worth a human life," Winters said, adding that the booby traps might just as easily have been tripped by firefighters or police officers answering an emergency call at the bar.

Ingram was a defendant in the lawsuit but died last year before the case went to trial against the remaining defendants, including his wife, Barbara Ingram.

Barbara Ingram's lawyer said the award left the Aurora woman "devastated."

"She's the victim, and she gets victimized again," said attorney Fred Morelli, who also represented the property owner, Alma Moody of Virginia.

Morelli said the jury ended up giving Harris' family "more than he would have earned in his entire life" and promised to appeal the verdict.

Winters contends there was little evidence linking Harris to the earlier break-ins and said it wasn't clear why Harris was entering the bar through the window around 2 a.m.

"We're never going to know Larry's intent, but we know Jessie's intent," Winters said, noting that, after installing and testing the security system, Ingram then boosted its power to 220 volts from 110 volts. "There was a clear intent to cause harm."

Harris' brother, William, couldn't be reached Monday for comment. In an earlier interview, he said, "I know my brother wasn't an angel, but I don't feel like the way he died was justified."


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; US: Illinois
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To: tom h
Tom, I have no problem with Lethal force, believe me, if this guy broke in and the bar owner blew his ass away... I got no problem with it. I also am not losing sleep that the guy died trying to break in... however you cannot create mantraps its that simple. Booby Traps are illegal, pure and simple, regardless of the justification you use for building them. That "security" system would know more discriminate between the crackhead thief or the fire department... booby traps, regardless of their "justification" are indiscriminate weapons... if booby traps are justifiable as some here are insanely trying to argue then hey, you want to keep the neighbors kids off your lawn, plant some land mines... want to keep salesmen from bugging you, rig your doorbell to an acid dump.... sorry, indiscriminate time bombs designed with the pure intent and purpose to kill or maim when triggered are illegal.


As to the barbed wire guy, barbed wire strung along a fenceline is hardly a man trap.
61 posted on 02/25/2003 11:37:32 AM PST by HamiltonJay
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To: Gunslingr3
So you claim the right to shoot and kill a kid stealing your hubcap off your car.

A little lack of proportion there, dude.
62 posted on 02/25/2003 12:26:27 PM PST by You Dirty Rats
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To: tom h
I'm not sure fellows who advocate execution for stealing property are all that reasonable.
63 posted on 02/25/2003 12:29:00 PM PST by You Dirty Rats
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To: You Dirty Rats
So you claim the right to shoot and kill a kid stealing your hubcap off your car. A little lack of proportion there, dude.

Two can play wild exaggeration. You'd have a 'civilized' man sit back and call the police while his daughter gets raped, because using force against criminals is the duty of the police and courts, not the 'civilized' subjects. Is that about as unfair a comparison?

P.S. I'd probably use rocksalt on the kids...

64 posted on 02/25/2003 1:06:47 PM PST by Gunslingr3
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To: goldstategop
"I believe human life is precious"

I don't believe that for a second!

That includes my own life, no one is irreplaceable.
65 posted on 02/25/2003 1:16:42 PM PST by dalereed
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To: stylin19a
"FYI....Aurora is 2 countys over and about 50 miles west of Chicago."

FYI...I grew up in Brookfield Wisconsin, about 12 miles west of Milwaukee & 75+/- 10 mi north Chicago.

The area (geographically speaking) shares many similarities.

...maybe it's in the water. {g}

66 posted on 02/25/2003 4:25:23 PM PST by Landru
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To: Landru
my wife grew up in wauwautosa. Believe me, there are NO similarities :)
67 posted on 02/25/2003 4:36:43 PM PST by stylin19a (it's cold because it's too hot...- Global Warming-ists explanation for cold wave)
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To: MississippiMan
I remember seeing a lethal anti-carjacking system on TV a couple of years ago: The driver pressed a button and ignited flamethrowers that were positioned underneath the body of the car on the driver's side. Wonder if that's still around?

You can see the video here.

68 posted on 02/25/2003 4:39:46 PM PST by cynwoody
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To: stylin19a
"my wife grew up in wauwautosa. Believe me, there are NO similarities :)"

Typical Wisconsinite; that union mentality. ;^)
(~gawwwddd I hope you've even a small modicom of appreciation for a sarcastic sense of humor...)

~eh?
My bride & I used to rent a bungalow on 67th & Mieneke; just north of North Avenue -- around 20 years ago.
Back when God was a Private, Jake's had a steak house on 60th & North, & the area still reasonably safe? {g}

...small world, isn't it?

69 posted on 02/25/2003 4:47:34 PM PST by Landru
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To: The Old Hoosier
I read about a guy who set a trap by the rear wall of his business at an industrial site. His business was burglarized a few times, so he buried some steel spikes just inside the rear wall. His alarm went off and police responded. One officer jumped over the rear wall to check the business and a spike went through his foot. The owner was jailed and sued, giving a large amount of money to the officer.
70 posted on 02/25/2003 4:54:40 PM PST by Mark
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To: All
Need to add--- Shouldn't the value of the life, earning capacity, etc be considered in coming up with an award amount? $75,000?-- Maybe $7.50 would be more appropriate.
71 posted on 02/25/2003 5:03:57 PM PST by Mark
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To: Redcloak
They are indiscriminate and thus can cause harm to innocents.

I guess that's possible, but I've never seen a story about them causing harm to an innocent. It always seems to be a criminal.

72 posted on 02/25/2003 5:35:45 PM PST by Moonman62
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Comment #73 Removed by Moderator

To: cynwoody
You can see the video here.

Thanks, that's the one! That's what I call a mind-changer! A reconsiderator.

MM

74 posted on 02/25/2003 8:55:19 PM PST by MississippiMan
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To: Landru
I DID catch your humor...mine was suppose to be humor back.
Her being from wauwautosa, I STILL call her a "cake-eater".
Small world indeed. My wife lived @ 64th & Garfield. Was a Holy Angels girl...
How I,(at the time) a born/raised/bred/drop-dead/1st Mayor Daley/blue-dog/straight ticket/democrat voting Chicagoan, met up with her 29 years ago, I'll never know.

Freep On
75 posted on 02/25/2003 9:28:58 PM PST by stylin19a (it's cold because it's too hot...- Global Warming-ists explanation for cold wave)
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To: goldstategop
I believe human life is precious. It can never be replaced which is why we can never defend property with deadly force even from a criminal. But we do have the right to defend ourselves and loved ones with deadly force from harm from some one who wants us gone from this life.

I think you forgot your < sarcasm >< /sarcasm > tags. Either that, or you've been living in the golden state a little too long and are starting to become indoctrinated by the liberal babble that permeates that state.

Deadly force is the exact level of force needed when some drug crazed lunatic crawls through a window into my home. I don't care what his intentions are. Maybe he's wanting to use my phone to make a long distance call. Too bad.

76 posted on 02/25/2003 9:45:15 PM PST by JavaTheHutt
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To: You Dirty Rats
Lethal security systems are flat-out wrong.

If I ever go into business for myself, I intend let a pit bull with rabies run loose inside my business at night. Would you consider that a lethal security system?

77 posted on 02/25/2003 9:50:20 PM PST by JavaTheHutt
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To: Cagey
THIS IS ALL WRONG!!!!!!!!!!
78 posted on 02/25/2003 9:53:22 PM PST by celtic gal (Clinton proved that crime pays)
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To: Cagey
When will the madness end. This verdict is part of the sick slippery slope which will lead to burglars staging injuries while attempting a harmless little break in, so they can score with a jury.
79 posted on 02/25/2003 9:58:01 PM PST by Cinnamon Girl
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To: Cagey
If someone has a terminal illness anyways, it is a great way to financially provide for your family without having to pay any premiums either.
80 posted on 02/25/2003 9:58:43 PM PST by waterstraat
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