Inmate's Family Awarded $56.5 Million in Record Verdict
May 20, 2002
The family of a man who died while incarcerated in an Indiana jail was awarded $56.5 million recently on a civil rights claim. Christopher Moreland, 30, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in October 1997. Shortly after officers took the suspect to St. Joseph County Jail in South Bend, Moreland was involved in a confrontation with another inmate. Deputy Paul Moffa used a powerful pepper spray on Moreland to break up the altercation. However, a surveillance camera also showed the deputy slamming the inmate's head against a bench. Two other officers, Erich Dieter and Michael Sawdon, then took Moreland to another floor where he was allegedly sprayed again and thrown into a shower where he suffered a serious brain injury. Unconscious, Moreland was placed back in his cell, where he was found dead the next morning. The man's family sued the officers as well as the county jail under the Civil Rights Act. The verdict is believed to be the largest in Indiana's history.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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