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."
I saw that too. They are big sellers in South Africa. I've been waiting for one to show up on Ebay.
I absolutely claim that right. That's not to say that I would necessarily exercise the right everytime some punk tried to steal a hubcap from my car, but I definitely reserve my right to do so.
Such a hypothetical would be reasonable in a criminal case against the person who set the trap, as it goes to the core of why setting such traps is illegal. On the other hand, the decedent wasn't a firefighter or other legal first responder. He was a crook.
I would have no trouble with criminal charges against the man who set the trap, were he still alive, but I see no reason the decedent's family should get one penny from his crime.
Hang on to your knickers; but...so's mine.
I kid you not & I'll tell you something else, if she graduated around '72 +/- a year??
There's a very good chance these two would've known one another; and, if she were an Angelaire??
We could safely remove all doubt.
Bet your bride would've certainly known who my wife's father was, even if she didn't know her.
Providing she followed the local Milwaukee area highschool football scene for the WIAA ie Marquette University High School?
Many a Divine Savor Holy Angels gal dated the Marquette HS guys back in those days, y'know.
In any event...
"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."
HA!!!
The *original* Mayor Daley, no less.
Ahhh yes the good ol' days. When the trains ran on time. :o)
I can really relate, stylin'.
I've often wondered myself (many times) how my gal managed to pick up such a mutt as I.
Only real difference between your story & mine would appear to be which Mayor ruled over us & even then, their political party would've been the same.
Politically speaking I've changed quite a bit since then.
You too, I presume?
Well if you haven't, it's been nice knowin' ya.
...just watch the skies for *zot*, my friend. {g}
Justice?
Pulls the meter? Good idea, if you are sure you have the proper one, and it doesn't explode in your face when you pull it. We have a really nice training film that shows a meter installer getting set on fire while pulling a meter under load.
Oh that's right, you live in Ohio. That's why you don't understand. Where I live, I very seriously doubt the DA would even consider bringing charges against me, and if he did, they wouldn't be able to get a jury to convict.
Burglars deserve whatever fate happens to befall them. The man who set the trap deserved to be charged with endangering innocent people, but the burglar in this case was hardly innocent.
Actually, I made my comments more to be provocative than because I believed in my heart they are necessary.
As to being unreasonable, wellll ... my wife makes that complaint about me every day. ;-)
And I agree with you 100%. Thanks for enlightening me on the difference.
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