Court Roundup

Minneapolis Illegal search, seizure victims receive awards MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Dozens of victims of illegal searches, seizures and excessive force have been awarded more than $840,000 in the Twin Cities. The awards range from $300 to $75,000 and are part of a settlement in a lawsuit over the actions of the disbanded Metro Gang Strike Force. The multi-jurisdictional police agency was shut down by the Minnesota Department of Public Safety three years ago after reports that the unit's officers seized property without authorization, injured people who were not suspects and broke down doors without justification. The Star Tribune says the awards made to 96 victims Monday conclude the main phase in the 2010 settlement of a $3 million class action lawsuit. The remaining money will be used to train officers statewide on variety of issues, including property seizure. Idaho Newspaper to comply with anonymous comment ruling BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- A newspaper on Monday decided to comply with a court order and turn over documents establishing the identity of an anonymous reader who posted a disparaging online comment about a Republican political leader in northern Idaho. But don't expect a big reveal: The blogger outed herself Monday. As part of a libel lawsuit Kootenai County Republican Central Committee Chairwoman Tina Jacobson filed in April, she subpoenaed the identities of three people who made comments about her under assumed names on a Spokesman-Review blog. Under the name "almostinnocentbystander," one of the commenters had questioned in February whether $10,000 reportedly missing from the Kootenai County Central Committee might be "stuffed inside Tina's blouse." The newspaper refused to turn over information about the commenters and argued that people should be allowed to post anonymous comments on its blogs without fear of being identified and then sued. Jacobson said the posts hurt her reputation, and she asked a judge order the newspaper to provide identifying information about the commenters. District Judge John Luster ruled earlier this month that the First Amendment doesn't protect defamatory speech and he ordered the newspaper to provide information establishing the identity of "almostinnocentbystander." But Luster also ruled the paper didn't have to provide similar information for the other two readers, who wrote under the names "Phaedrus" and "outofstatetater," because they did not make defamatory comments. The Spokesman-Review is based in Spokane, Wash., and also circulates widely in nearby northern Idaho. That's where Linda Cook revealed herself as "almostinnocentbystander" in a posting on another newspaper's website Monday. Cook has previously submitted editorials to the Coeur d'Alene Press, identifying herself as a Rathdrum resident who worked on former Republican U.S. House hopeful Vaughn Ward's campaign. She didn't immediately return a phone call Monday. The Spokesman-Review's decision not to appeal Luster's ruling was based on attorney advice, said editor Gary Graham. "The decision not to appeal didn't really have anything to do with whether the commenter planned to go public," he said in an email. "Our attorneys advised us that we were extremely unlikely to succeed with an appeal." Louisiana Insurance co. pays $104M over Katrina claims BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Louisiana's property insurer of last resort has paid a $104 million judgment that will benefit more than 18,500 policyholders who sued over slow adjustment of claims after hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck in 2005. Plaintiffs' attorney Fred Herman says Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. transferred the money Monday. Herman said eligible plaintiffs will receive their share of the judgment in three to six months. A state judge still has to decide how much of the award should pay for attorneys' fees and costs. Citizens CEO Richard Robertson says the company still has about $100 million in cash reserves to continue paying claims "for the foreseeable future." A state judge ruled in 2009 that Citizens did not adjust damage claims for the storms within 30 days, as required by law. Florida Florida Court rejects Florida prison privatization appeal TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- An appellate court has rejected Attorney General Pam Bondi's appeal of ruling against the Legislature's plan to privatize nearly 30 prison facilities in South Florida. A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal ruled on Tuesday that Bondi couldn't appeal on her own after the Department of Corrections declined to do so. Leaders of the Republican-controlled Legislature had urged her to appeal. One of Bondi's assistants acknowledged during oral argument last month that it was too late to carry out the privatization due to the expiration of a budget provision authorizing the plan. Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Glogau, though, asked for a ruling to set a precedent for future budgets. A circuit judge ruled the privatization should have been in a stand-alone law instead of the budget. Published: Wed, Jul 25, 2012