How much will the City Law Department's laziness cost you this time?

[Meddle]

U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Ludington issued a default judgment against the city today, concluding the law department failed to properly respond to a civil rights lawsuit by a man who claims potentially thousands have been mistreated in the city’s jail.

Ludington did not say how much the city will have to pay, but he did grant the plaintiff’s request for damages.

The plaintiff, Gratiot County resident Johnathan Aaron Brown, claims that in 2007, he was arrested by the DPD and detained “in a cold, isolated holding cell without proper food, blankets or a pillow for 55 hours,” court records show.

Brown filed the lawsuit in June. But since then, the city “has repeatedly missed the deadlines and ignored the Court’s orders,” Ludington wrote.

"At this point, defendant apparently refuses to even speak with plaintiff's attorneys or respond to their written inquiries," Ludington wrote.

Krystal Crittendon, head of the city's Law Department, could not be reached for comment.

http://www.freep.com/article/2011041...text|FRONTPAGE

[BVos]

While I've met many lazy and incompetent Detroit Law Dept. attorneys, I've also met many very intelligent and competent attorneys at the City. I will say that the department is completely overwhelmed and management is either incompetent and/or overwhelmed themselves. So I wouldn't automatically say this attorney is lazy. It may be that there was no attorney to fill in or the supervisor was incompetent to assign a substitute.

[the rock]

I agree with you BVos. During my 38 years of practice in Detroit, I dealt with many of the attorneys from the City Law Department. Most worked their cases, others seemed to be just putting in the time and picking up a paycheck.
Letting defaults getting entered against the City, not showing up for court appearances or depositions was probably the biggest rap on them. You wonder if it was due to failing to implement an effective in-house scheduling plan for all their attorneys or just what.
Om the other hand, there were lawyers in private practice who did not always have their acts together either .I 'd say that most judges would set aside a default on the payment of costs , depending on how fragrant the events were leading up to the default being entered.

[HistoryNotHisStory]

The real problem is the Detroit Police Department.

The lawsuit stemmed from DPD. Detroit Police is costing us too much money in lawsuits for not knowing the law and the US Constitution. Shooting a young girl doesn't help either.

It time to privatize Detroit's security force. This will allow for the City to be no longer liable for the actions of its officers. The law suit will hit the private firm. A Private firm does not like loss and will make the immediate corrections. A private firm can also be fired ASAP.

[Meddle]

Do you REALLY want Blackwater type mercenaries running loose?

[Buy American]

The real problem is the Detroit Police Department.

The lawsuit stemmed from DPD. Detroit Police is costing us too much money in lawsuits for not knowing the law and the US Constitution. Shooting a young girl doesn't help either.

It time to privatize Detroit's security force. This will allow for the City to be no longer liable for the actions of its officers. The law suit will hit the private firm. A Private firm does not like loss and will make the immediate corrections. A private firm can also be fired ASAP.

You're kidding...right? Do you really think that just because Detroit would have a "private" security force that it wouldn't get sued if something went wrong. People are looking for big pockets to sue, they would hit the security firm AND Detroit. I also question the validity of the lawsuit in the first place. The City lawyers should have responded so no fines were implemented. Bing needs to start making some changes in that Department before hitting Police or Fire with layoffs!

[Searay215]

I would not put is past Rick Snyder to actually come up with that [[Private Security force) idea....it plays right into his I am God and will rule as I want plan. As he slowly takes over city after city, school after school. This is the perfect way for him to really take over.....mark my words.

[bartock]

I would not put is past Rick Snyder to actually come up with that [[Private Security force) idea....it plays right into his I am God and will rule as I want plan. As he slowly takes over city after city, school after school. This is the perfect way for him to really take over.....mark my words.

"I am God and will rule as I want" plan? That's a terrible name for a plan. I mean, it's so tacky, so pretentious. If only I had known that was the name of his plan I never would have voted for him.

I guess it works, though, since it found it's way into this thread about the Detroit Law Department...

[Detroitej72]

A private, for profit security company patrolling the streets would have the same ill-fated effects as Blackwater has had in war zones. You'll have armed goons who have no regard for the law playing judge, jury and executioner. No thanks, I'll take my chances with the current police force any day of the week.

[artds]

The real problem is the Detroit Police Department.

The lawsuit stemmed from DPD. Detroit Police is costing us too much money in lawsuits for not knowing the law and the US Constitution. Shooting a young girl doesn't help either.

It time to privatize Detroit's security force. This will allow for the City to be no longer liable for the actions of its officers. The law suit will hit the private firm. A Private firm does not like loss and will make the immediate corrections. A private firm can also be fired ASAP.

Wasn't this the theme of the movie Robocop?

[Jimaz]

Wasn't this the theme of the movie Robocop?

LOL. Yeah. I was going to say, I've seen this movie before. It didn't work out very well.