Rudolph Walker v. County of Los Angeles, Paul Bednarski
Published: Feb. 4, 2003 | Result Date: Sep. 6, 2002 | Filing Date: Jan. 1, 1900 |Case number: CV0102403AHM Verdict – $0
Judge
Court
USDC Central
Attorneys
Plaintiff
Thomas E. Beck
(The Beck Law Firm)
Defendant
Thomas C. Hurrell
(Hurrell Cantral LLP)
Facts
On March 13, 2000, the plaintiff, a 27-year-old male, his girlfriend and a third person were sitting in the plaintiff's car in an apartment complex driveway. The plaintiff stated that his girlfriend refused to get out of the car, so he telephoned "911" in order to have the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department extricate her from his vehicle. The plaintiff alleged that while he was on the telephone, his girlfriend smashed a juice bottle and cut her own neck. The deputies and paramedics arrived and discovered the girlfriend's injury. The defendant Deputy Sheriff Paul Bednarski subsequently placed the plaintiff under arrest for spousal battery, pursuant to Penal Code Section 273.5, after the girlfriend refused to admit that she had harmed herself and had reported that the plaintiff had injured her. The dispute before the court was the issue of whether the arrest was reasonable under the circumstances.
Settlement Discussions
According to the defendant, the plaintiff had submitted a demand of $100,000. The defense submitted an offer of $2,500.
Damages
The plaintiff claimed that he was unlawfully arrested and that he was entitled to punitive damages.
Injuries
The plaintiff claimed that he was unlawfully arrested and that he was entitled to punitive damages.
Other Information
Defense counsel reported that the plaintiff's girlfriend had been arrested and convicted of Penal Code Section 148.5 for providing false information to a peace officer on the night of the arrest. The plaintiff's counsel reported that an appeal was filed on Nov. 8, 2002.
Deliberation
three hours
Length
four days
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