Round Valley Lawsuit Update
...by Bonnie Blackberry
|
Depositions have been occurring during most of the summer. The plaintiffs have been coming in to testify about what happened with the police during the days after the shoot out that took place in April 1995 on the Round Valley Indian Reservation. Mendocino County and the CHP plan to make motions for Summary Judgment by the end of August, basically telling the court that these people don't have a case of civil rights violations, and asking that the case be thrown out. There will be a response to that motion and then there will be a hearing in October to grant or deny the motions. If the motions are denied, a trial is set to begin in February 1999. Attorney Dennis Cunningham said that the judge may grant some motions and deny others, but that the big issue is, will she recognize a police policy or conspiracy to get vengeance for what the police thought Bear Lincoln had done? According to Dennis, the police feel they had good reason for what they did, and as the case proceeds, they will make further motions regarding qualified immunity.
|
|
