Saturday, January 12, 2008

WTF, Officer?


We ever going to see a news article where the attorney says my client admits all liability?


I'm just sayin'.



Woman sues police, city

Attorney: Bedford ‘denies any liability’



BEDFORD, INDIANA — Randi Lively claims a Bedford police officer came to her hospital room while she was giving birth and wrongfully detained, intimidated and harassed her, among other things, in January 2006.

She filed a lawsuit Tuesday against former Mayor Joe Klumpp, the city of Bedford, Bedford Police Department and Jeremy D. Bridges. She is seeking at least $300,000, and is represented by Bloomington attorneys, Michael O. Ellis and Jeremy M. Tempel.

“The city denies any liability relating to this complaint and intends to defend the case vigorously,” said city attorney Greg Pittman.

Lively was admitted to Bedford Regional Medical Center on Jan. 9, 2006, at 6:30 a.m. by appointment to give birth to a stillborn child, according to Lively’s complaint filed in Lawrence Superior Court I. Bridges, an officer with BPD, and another officer went to Lively’s hospital room. He ordered Lively’s mother and nursing staff to leave the room.

According to the complaint, Bridges told Lively he was there to investigate “her kidnapping” of her own son. He also told her he took on the investigation at the request of a “buddy.”
Lively had full legal and physical custody of her son.

“Plaintiff had been all day without food because of the possibility of an emergency C-section,” the complaint stated. “Plaintiff’s food arrived, but Officer Bridges would not permit plaintiff to take her food, stating that ‘this matter comes before [her] meal.

“Officer Bridges continued to interrogate plaintiff in a hostile, threatening and harassing manner about ‘[her] kidnapping of [her] son,” then said to plaintiff in a threatening manner, ‘I can’t arrest you right now since you’re on an IV in a hospital room, but I can make your life a living hell.’”

The suit also alleges the city and BPD established a pattern and practice of letting Bridges behave in “an intentional outrageous manner toward citizens.”

When Bridges left, Lively was upset, crying and sobbing.
“As a result of the intentional and outrageous actions of the police officers, plaintiff was caused to go into hard, forced labor, requiring emergent treatment by nurses and physicians and requiring her to incur additional medical expenses that were not necessary with the controlled delivery procedure that she was undergoing,” the complaint stated.

Lively stated she has incurred additional expenses for counseling because of her continued fear and distressed emotional state.

“Wherefore, plaintiff respectfully requests the court, after trial of this cause, to enter judgment for plaintiff and against the defendants in their official capacities and against Jeremy David Bridges, personally, to compensate plaintiff for her losses and injuries, in a sum not less than $300,000,” the complaint stated.