Man who claimed police brutality gets $125K settlement

[SummerMadness]

Man who claimed police brutality gets $125K settlement

The State of Rhode Island has settled a lawsuit alleging brutality by A Rhode Island State Police trooper, but the officer at the center of the case is continuing his legal battle against the state, the NBC 10 I-Team has learned.

Lionel Monsanto received $110,000 from the State of Rhode Island and $15,000 from Trooper James Donnelly-Taylor, according to Monsanto’s attorney, Rob Caron.

Guilty of assault and want the entire state apparatus to defend you and when it won't you sue them? This is something that we should not be wasting time and money on. I think a greater financial burden should be placed on the officers who commit assault as opposed to the state.

No doubt the Aquarians will find fault with the police because the government is always wrong when it protects the citizens and always right if they protect government employees brutalizing the populace.

 

[dgiharris]

Guilty of assault and want the entire state apparatus to defend you and when it won't you sue them?

That isn't what I got from the article. You know I'm critical of police, however police also have Rights.

In this case, the State and the Police Commander were wrong in "ordering" him to plead no contest. In effect, the State stripped away this officer's Constitutional Rights to a fair trial. This officer had the Right to "fight this in court" and because he is an agent of the State the State has a duty to represent him and see that he has Legal Counsel. Sure, if the evidence against him was damning he would have lost, but that was still his Right and still his choice.

Now the devil is in the details. If the commander suggested to him 'Hey you should plead no contest because you are screwed with the video tape and the tape makes us all look bad, so my "suggestion" is that you plead no contest and we'll try to help you best we can..." that is one thing and that is legal.

But if the commander and the State said, "We are ordering you to plead no contest so do it, you can't win the video tape will sink you and drag us all down so plead no contest that's an order..." then the State screwed up and he has a Right to sue them...