Awesome. Way to go Joe.
Always know that Jesus loves you.
On Mar 8, 2024, at 23:14, Steve <pipeguy920@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Well, some MSB alums are getting some money in connection with that ADA
demonstration several years ago.
Steve
MSP to pay $475K after barring disabled Michiganders at Americans with
Disabilities event
LANSING -- The Michigan State Police must pay $475,000 under a judgment
issued in a federal lawsuit alleging troopers violated the constitutional
rights of six Michiganders with disabilities at an event on the state Capitol
lawn in 2015. The event, free and open to the public, was a 25th anniversary
celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Mt. Morris resident Joe
Harcz, who is blind, was among several people with disabilities whose
entrances were blocked by state troopers when they showed up intending to
distribute leaflets and express concerns about certain disability policies
and practices in Michigan. Nonprofit organizations that hosted the event
tipped off police to keep Harcz and the others away, according to depositions
in the case. Harcz, who was in his 60s and using a white cane, was arrested
and charged with resisting and obstructing police, a two-year felony. But
authorities dropped the charge in 2016, minutes before the trial was set to
begin. Now, in the seven-year-old civil lawsuit brought by Harcz and other
defendants , the Michigan State Police made an infrequently used "offer of
judgment" on the eve of trial. The plaintiffs agreed and U.S. District Judge
Jane Beckering issued the judgment Wednesday in federal court in Michigan's
western district. The judgment does not specify counts or findings but sets
out the financial settlements and says the state waived a government immunity
defense for this specific case. "It's a complete victory for our clients,"
said Julie Porter, a Chicago partner in the law firm that acted for the
plaintiffs. "My view is it covers all of the claims in the complaint. But
despite the judgment handed down in the case, MSP spokeswoman Shanon Banner
said Friday the agency admits no liability. "In entering into this
resolution, the Michigan State Police made no admission of liability or
constitutional violation in this matter," Banner said. "The MSP and the state
of Michigan assert this resolution was entered into for the sole and
exclusive purpose of resolving a dispute between the parties in a way to
avoid the costs and productivity loss of further litigation. In monetary
settlements that don't involve judgments, a defendant's denial of liability
is typically made part of the court record. An "offer of judgment" does not
require an acceptance of liability, but in this case, no denial of liability
was made part of the court record in connection with the judgment. The suit
sought a declaration that the MSP had violated the plaintiffs' free speech
rights. It also alleged false arrest, among other counts. Harcz said Friday
it was important to him to have a judgment against the MSP, rather than a
settlement in which defendants typically do not admit wrongdoing. "They put
up barriers against us on Barrier Removal Day literally," Harcz said in
reference to the day set aside to celebrate the ADA. Eleanor Canter, who has
a neurological condition requiring her to use a mobility device and was also
excluded from the event, said the judgment sends a strong message that people
with disabilities won't be treated as second-class citizens. "September 17,
2015 will go down in history as the day the state of Michigan and their
partners tried to strip its disabled citizenry of our constitutional rights
in broad daylight at an event celebrating our community's most notable civil
rights law," Canter said. The case involved two trips to the U.S. 6th Circuit
Court of Appeals. The plaintiffs prevailed both times. Under the offer of
judgment set out by the MSP, attorneys in the case will receive $300,000.
Harcz will receive $50,000. Canter, Brian Dian, Mark Eagle, David Robinson
and Joseph Sontag will receive $25,000 each. One other plaintiff, Terry
Eagle, was not a party to the judgment and may proceed to trial. He is no
longer represented by the attorneys who handled the case, according to court
records.
