Thursday, May 13, 2010

The relative value of torts according to Harris County commissioners court

From the Houston Chronicle:

Harris County will pay $400,000 to a sheriff's deputy for transferring him to less desirable duty because he would not shave, while it will pay $167,500 to the family of a woman who died in the county jail.

Commissioners Court approved the payments Tuesday to settle lawsuits against the Harris County Sheriff's Office. It also settled a third lawsuit against the sheriff by agreeing to pay $31,450 to a former human resources manager who accused her supervisor of sexual harassment. The county does not acknowledge wrongdoing in any of the cases.

1 comment:

machine said...

You know...on A personal level I do enjoy the 411 on what goes on in our country...On a community, State, and federal level...But, and it is a BIG BUT, when will "WE THE PEOPLE" stop allowing this flagrent use (fleecing) of our (fed.,State, and County) tax dollars? I for one get very upset and angry when I hear such "abuse"...Why do we continue to allow those in power who fail to uphold their civil duties to be rewarded. I mean is their a policy that states the Sherrif must be clean shaven??? If so than he is in breach of that policy. If not than let him wear the god damn beard...It ain't worth 400k!

Saddly enough in todays "high tech" information age (which seems to belie itself), we are bombarded with all these tragidies and ongoing coruptions and do nothing more than "talk" about them around the water cooler at work or while sucking down a latte at Starbucks...I myself, with a few mates, have solved all the worlds problems over a few pints only to wake up the next day and everything is the same...I read about $400k to transfur a rebelious sherrif, while a family who lost a loved one during incarseration will only receive 167.5k (are they even entitled to this $$$), and a sexual harrassment case settles out for 31k....Yet the county claims no responsability. UGH!
I am told that writing our elected officials is the answer...Isn't the sherrif an elected official???
Anyone framilar with Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience"???