>From: "Peter McWilliams" >Subject: 1 dead; $5 million are tax dollars wasted >Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 00:11:56 -0800 >X-Mozilla-Status: 8001 >X-Mozilla-Status2: 00000000 > >Add one dead and $5 million more (plus legal fees) to the Drug War. > >Enjoy, > >Peter > >----------- > >Malibu ranch-raid lawsuit settled for $5 million > >(01-12) 07:07 PST LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Los Angeles County and the federal >government have tentatively agreed to pay $5 million to the survivors a >millionaire shot to death in a purported drug raid at his ranch near Malibu. >The family of Donald P. Scott contends authorities staged the 1992 raid to >seize the $5 million ranch under drug-forfeiture laws. No drugs were found >on the 200-acre property near the Los Angeles-Ventura county line. >Scott, 61, was killed when he emerged from his bedroom armed with a pistol, >still sleepy and slightly drunk. >Officials deny those charges, but said they agreed to settle a civil rights >lawsuit filed by Scott's family because they feared jurors would not believe >government agents. >Dennis Gonzales, principal deputy Los Angeles County counsel, said sheriff's >officials were particularly concerned about fallout from the Rampart scandal >at the Los Angeles Police Department. >In that highly publicized case, a former LAPD gang officer has said he and >colleagues framed and sometimes shot innocent people. >The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Los Angeles County >Sheriff's Department, the lead agency in the raid, were both named in the >lawsuit. >Under the terms of the tentative settlement outlined Tuesday in U.S. >District Court, the county will pay $4 million and the federal government >will pay $1 million. All suits against the government stemming from the raid >will then be dropped. >Assistant U.S. Attorney James Sullivan declined to comment on reasons for >the settlement, which must be approved by the Interior Department, Drug >Enforcement Administration and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. >Government lawyers told the court they expect approval within 90 days. > > >================================================================ > >This message is sent to you because you are subscribed to > the mailing list . >To unsubscribe, E-mail to: