Court Roundup

Tennessee Woman gets $9 million in drunk driving suit CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- A Hamilton County woman has been awarded $9.25 million in damages after she was injured by a drunk driver in 2008. In a phone interview Thursday with The Chattanooga Times Free Press, Jessica Volz said she doesn't think she'll ever see a penny of the damages, but she wants the verdict to serve as a warning against drinking and driving. On Tuesday, a Hamilton County Circuit Court jury awarded her $350,000 in past damages, $150,000 in future damages and $8.75 million in punitive damages in her civil lawsuit against Kevin Davis. Davis pleaded guilty to vehicular assault and received a four-year sentence for crashing head first in to Volz's car on Nov. 25, 2008. Kentucky Lawsuit dismissed against police in shooting COVINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- A federal judge has dismissed a wrongful death lawsuit against several northern Kentucky police officers who were involved the fatal shooting of a farmer who drove at them in a 30,000-pound front-end loader. The Kentucky Enquirer reported Thursday that Valerie Bradford filed the lawsuit against Bracken County sheriff deputies, Campbell County police officers and Kentucky state troopers in the May 2009 shooting of her husband, Robert Bradford, during a domestic violence call. U.S. District Judge David Bunning said in his opinion that Bradford pointed his gun at officers, refused to surrender and then drove the loader into a police vehicle. Bunning said they used deadly force to protect themselves, which did not violate the law. An attorney for Bradford's wife said they will probably appeal. Kansas Doc seeks to quash subpoena abortion threat case WICHITA, Kan. (AP) -- A Wichita doctor is seeking to quash or modify the subpoena filed by an abortion opponent accused of sending a threatening letter after learning of the doctor's plans to offer abortions. The dispute comes in the civil lawsuit filed by the Justice Department against anti-abortion activist Angel Dillard, of Valley Center, under a federal law protecting access to reproductive services. Dr. Mila Means argued Thursday the subpoena seeking documents for her deposition next week are overly broad and burdensome. She also contends the subpoenaed information about her efforts to obtain funding or a facility to provide abortions could subject others to threats and intrusions by abortion opponents. No abortions have been performed openly in Wichita since Dr. George Tiller was shot to death at his church in May 2009. Published: Mon, Jun 25, 2012