City of Portland: Lawsuits 'R' Us
The gal whom Randy Leonard fired from the City of Portland emergency response operation after she criticized the city's lame new police car computers says she'll sue the city. The Fireman says she wasn't fired for her comments about the system. Perhaps we'll see what a judge or jury thinks about that factual question.
Between that move, mistakenly shooting the guy with real buckshot instead of a beanbag, and then arresting the wrong guy on a murder charge, the boys and girls in Portland law enforcement are really racking up the lawsuits -- and that's just in the past week.
| Posted at 4:02 AM | Permalink |
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Comments (6)
It often seems that lawsuits against CoP never amount to much, or at least, just disappear. One could get the impression there were some sort of tacit waiver one agrees to when stepping onto the premises.
Posted by Mr. Grumpy | July 5, 2011 8:02 AM
Silly rabbit - God forbid she should criticize the Eminance Grise himself. Open-mindedness and tolerance is a great motto - For other people.
So Randy, any chance we can get any of what she settles for from your 2 pensions plus paycheck? Peter principal in full effect.
Posted by Steve | July 5, 2011 8:03 AM
Keeping it Weird in P-town...Jackpot justice is a career choice for some.
Posted by Mister Tee | July 5, 2011 9:31 AM
Mr G.,
There have been some substantial settlements of lawsuits against the City. And some markedly more modest ones; eg, $32.5K after less than a year (two years after the accident) to a cyclist who argued that the City (PBOT engineers) should have known that an intersection on Interstate was dangerous when a bike lane was installed:
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2009/10/city_to_settle_with_injured_bi.html
One of the functions of such lawsuits is to amend dangerous practices or structures. Two serious accidents -- one death -- in a fortnight was enough to move the City to change a faulty design.
One can hope that wiser heads than we have seen so far will address the harm done to Mr Blunk on a sidewalk along Sandy Blvd and the danger posed to others:
https://bojack.org/2011/07/hit_by_bike_on_portland_sidewa.html#comments
If they do not, there will be lawsuits aplenty, as well there should be. It will be painful and expensive until those elected and appointed to protect the public do so competently.
Posted by Gardiner Menefree | July 5, 2011 10:32 AM
I think he is asking about CoP employee settlements with CoP as a pre-negotiated condition of employement.
I'd hope some enterprising lwayer could find some way to stretch a "whistle-blower" argument to apply.
I mean someone has to provide a check to city council and the police dept.
Posted by Steve | July 5, 2011 10:38 AM
Don't you know the voters are supposed to be the check.....
BWA HA HA
Yeah, I was kidding. The voters only matter at election time and only the planner/developer/true believers have any say. Or so it seems.
Posted by Roy | July 5, 2011 5:15 PM