A plain clothes off duty Seattle policeman, Jonathan Chin, took it upon himself to follow and stop a vehicle which "cut him off in traffic" and get this - ran a red light, has had his legal bills paid for by the citizens of Seattle - to the tune of $331,000 and counting.
Why was this good Samaritan sued? Because this "authority" detained the three men at gunpoint until further backup arrived. As one of the backup patrol cars sped down the street where the men were being held, Andrew Rutherford jumped out of the way to avoid being hit by the patrol car. Big mistake Andy.
Andy was tackled, subdued and restrained by the now five "officers" suffering $3,500 in emergency room medical bills for what the city claimed was a slight head abrasion. Mr. Rutherford sued the city for $3 Million. It was determined during the legal proceedings that Mr. Rutherford's rights were in fact violated and all criminal charges were dismissed. He was simply a passenger in the car.
Of course the "officers" were cleared and it was determined that Chin was within his rights to detain Rutherford, but the length of time Rutherford was detained was excessive - therefore violating his rights.
What makes this even more interesting is that the jury was instructed that if they determined Rutherford's rights were violated that they may only award nominal punitive damages not to exceed $1.
Now the law firms and lawyers who successfully represented Mr. Rutherford are seeking compensation from the city for their efforts - to the possible tune of $400,000. That's right. No matter who wins or looses the lawyers always win!
The American justice system is broken - perhaps beyond repair.
©Sharky&Sharky
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