Update: 'No-Knock' Victim's Family Seeks Deal

[Jim Finnel]

The spokesman for the family of a 92-year-old woman gunned down by a rogue Atlanta police drug squad two years ago put pressure Friday on city officials to settle their lawsuit against the city.

"This family does not need to go through a long and bitter [court] process,," the Rev. Markel Hutchins said outside the northwest Atlanta home of Kathryn Johnston, pushing for a quick settlement.

The Johnston shooting and the subsequent revelations stunned many Atlantans. On Nov. 21, 2006, police used a "no-knock" warrant to gain entry into Johnston's home. Johnston, apparently surprised by the intruders, fired a gun at the officers. The officers shot her twice in the chest.

An investigation ensued, and officers admitted they cut corners, faked search warrants, planted drugs and raided homes because of pressure from supervisors to make arrests.

Three officers pleaded guilty to violating Johnston's civil rights and are awaiting sentencing. Police Chief Richard Pennington disbanded the department's narcotics unit and filled it last year with a new batch of officers. The Atlanta City Council created a civilian review board to investigate alleged police misconduct.

Johnston's family filed a lawsuit against the city last November. Hutchins said the city has not negotiated in good faith with Johnston family representatives. He delivered a letter Friday afternoon to the mayor and city council offices outlining his concerns.

City Attorney Beth Chandler said settlement discussions will occur "at an appropriate point during the litigation process."

Hutchins did not say how much money the family wants from the city, but he referred to a case several years ago of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System, which was ordered to pay $18 million to white defendants in a reverse-discrimination lawsuit.

"The circumstances in that case were a lot less egregious than what happened to [Johnston]," Hutchins said.

Hutchins said the city must do right by Johnston, although Atlanta is facing a projected budget shortfall of at least $50 million.

"We understand that the city is in a difficult place, but there's a debt that's owed to the family of Kathryn Johnston and that debt must be paid," he said.

Hutchins said the family also wants a formal apology and the city's help in creating a memorial honoring Johnston.


News Hawk: User: 420 MAGAZINE ® - Medical Marijuana Publication & Social Networking
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution (GA)
Copyright: 2008 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Author: Eric Stirgus

 

[Keith Lake]

Maybe they should disband the new unit and use the savings to compensate the family.

Future savings could be used for other purposes - the community surely doesn't need paramilitary police persecuting mild mannered cannabis consumers

 

[hood1]

I know a lot of uptight types I would like to turn on it would improve them as humans! I think Atlanta should use the drug seizure money to settle this and give them 50M. How about the money made from people in jail with jobs they are slaves more or less. They now have call centers in jails using inmates to man the phones for 15 bucks a month. Somebody is making money off this slaver of non-violent freedom of choice advocates. I feel 2009 will be our year how can a man like Obama be president and still allow this cast system we now live with. If you have the money to get into an ivy league school no matter how dumb you are. You will have few problem in life good jobs, big pay, above the law. You can go to a doctor with your insurance and cash get what ever relief you need even derivatives of the illegal drugs they put the poor in jail for. If you are poor a niggar (black or white or in between) has to hustle but the corporations say if you try to hustle in THERE area they will pay to make it illegal and put you in jail. To me this theory is against the way our for fathers intended it to be. They wanted freedom to be above all other rights. Our government today wants to take them away or brainwash people into thinking they are lucky just to be breathing. They will dictate our rights, or even worse the right wing religious folks want us to be put in jail if we don't follow and believe as they do. I am so happy I was born without that gene I do not understand how a human feels they have the right to dictate to another human how they should live their life. I wish someone smarter that me would explain that one for me. What happened to live and let live. A nation where everyone is equal and we could all enjoy the same fruits of our efforts. My dream is to grow killer weed and have a little store on my land to sell the weed. People would come in have a coffee try my product have a conversation sell them there choice. I would make a little to live on and pay my bills hurting no one and loving everyone. Why is this dream illegal? Why is it the number one reason for putting the highest numbers in prison in history? Greed and the desire for the people who have control and money to maintain and perpetuate the cast system we have today. After all they are on top and will lie cheat and steal to stay there. Bush the outgoing leader of our country is issuing a blanket pardon to anyone that may have committed a crime during his 8 years. Wait that doesn't mean little Billie is coming home from his five year mandatory sentence from selling a OZ to a old man that said it makes me feel better. No he has to stay in jail long enough to change him for life. Little Billie will never be the same when he gets out. But the big guys that make the laws don't care about little Billie they only care about themselves and there pardon. In 2009 everyone go to the Obama web site and send your thoughts to our new leader and see if he is in fact the leader we have been needing. One that will tell the right wing conservatives we do not care what you do short of burning witches at the stake. Live long and prosper we will not bother your but we will never be like you. We are the backbone of American and we like to toke at our discretion. We are non-violent loving people hippies of the 60s and your sons, daughters, parents and even grandparents. We harm no one we wish harm to no one we live and let live. All we want is for others to do the same.


Give me liberty or give me death!

 

[RooRman]

A settlement, however small or large, pales in comparison to the value of a loved ones life.

An unfortunate thing that should not have happened. At the very least I suppose the family has some kind of closure here.