Prince Georges County Jury Awards Victim of Sheriffs Department $261,000.00

Kimberly Jones had been punched, struck with a retractable baton and pepper-sprayed by Prince Georges County Sheriiffs deputies but the final straw was when she was charged with assaulting the same deputies and subsequently lost her job.

So she sued, took the case to trial and received some measure of vindication, a $261,000.00 verdict.

Amazing isn't it? Deputies burst into her apartment without showing her their warrant to arrest someone else and attacked her. From practical experience, I know that getting a jury to believe that such outrageous conduct goes on in our country is difficult. Fortunately, an attentive neighbor of Ms. Jones saw part of the event and called 911.

The basis for the verdict was a violation of the victim's constitutional rights. In Maryland the state constitution secures many of the same rights as the United States Constitution, without granting certain immunities to the offending officers.

As always an appeal seems inevitable.