A $13.5 million settlement in a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Delaware County Sheriff's Office will be paid in three equal installments, the first beginning in 2013, according to court records filed Thursday.
The Delaware County commissioners will pay the first installment by April 30, 2013, and the remaining installments will be due by the same date in 2014 and 2015, the document states.
In November the county settled a lawsuit in which 15 former jail inmates said they had been raped or otherwise sexually assaulted in the county jail by a volunteer deputy and jailers. Volunteer Deputy Bill Sanders Sr. and jail administrator Lonnie Hunter were at the center of most of the allegations.
Hunter was dismissed from the Sheriff's Office in November. Sanders was also dismissed from the Sheriff's Office and died in November 2008.
Each plaintiff will receive between $67,000 and $3.375 million, the court record shows. The amounts awarded to the individual women vary according to the egregiousness of the alleged acts.
Tom Seymour, one of the attorneys for the women, said case expenses and attorneys' fees, which were 50 percent of the total, will come out of the multimillion-dollar settlement.
The county commissioners are looking at three different avenues to pay, including raising property taxes, putting a proposal to residents for a sales tax or bond issue, or a combination of all three.
Thursday's filing also states that the county commissioners and former Sheriff Jay Blackfox were found not to have any liability in the lawsuit and have not admitted to any wrongdoing.
According to court records, the awards to the women are:
Plaintiff 1: Incarcerated from Nov. 3, 2005, to May 17, 2006; June 25 to July 7, 2007; and May 29 to June 1, 2008. Alleges that she was groped. Will receive $67,000 for injuries and damages.
Plaintiff 2: Incarcerated from Jan. 11 to Jan. 23, 2008. Alleges that she was groped. Will receive $270,000 for injuries and damages.
Plaintiff 3: Incarcerated from April 23 through July 15, 2008. Is classified as mentally disabled. Alleges that she was raped. Will receive $3.375 million for injuries, damages, retaliation and wrongful incarceration.
Plaintiff 4: Incarcerated from May 15 to July 11, 2008. Alleges that she was groped, sexually assaulted and raped. Will receive $2.16 million for injuries and damages.
Plaintiff 5: Incarcerated from Oct. 3 to Oct. 23, 2007. Alleges that she was groped and sexually assaulted. Will receive $202,500 for injuries and damages.
Plaintiff 6: Incarcerated from August to December 2007. Alleges that she was groped and sexually assaulted. Will receive $67,500 for injuries and damages.
Plaintiff 7: Incarcerated from Jan. 30 to March 20, 2008, and from June 29 to Oct. 8, 2008. Alleges that she was raped. Will receive $1.62 million for injuries and damages.
Plaintiff 8: Incarcerated in March 2008. Alleges that she was sexually assaulted. Will receive $405,000 for injuries and damages.
Plaintiff 9: Incarcerated from April to June 2008. Alleges that she was sexually assaulted. Will receive $101,250 for injuries and damages.
Plaintiff 10: Incarcerated from June through December 2008. Alleges emotional distress. Will receive $101,250 for injuries and damages.
Plaintiff 11: Incarcerated from Sept. 26 to Oct. 20, 2007; Aug. 17 to Oct. 29, 2008; and July 8 to August 2010. Alleges that she was groped and sexually assaulted. Will receive $1.62 million for damages and injuries.
Plaintiff 12: Incarcerated from Jan. 21 to Jan. 29, 2009. Alleges that she was sexually assaulted. Will receive $2.16 million for injuries and damages.
Plaintiff 13: Incarcerated from September to November 2007, February to March 2008 and February to April 2009. Alleges that she was groped and sexually assaulted. Will receive $67,500 for injuries and damages.
Plaintiff 14: Incarcerated from Oct. 30 to Nov. 15, 2007. Alleges that she was asked to participate in a homosexual act. Will receive $67,500 for damages and injuries.
Plaintiff 15: Incarcerated from June 23 to July 17, 2008. Alleges that she was sexually assaulted and raped by instrumentation. Will receive $1.215 million for injuries and damages.
Original Print Headline: $13.5 million settlement to be paid in 3 payments
Legal
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