SAN JOSE, California (AP) -- A California county will pay nearly $1 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club after police shot and killed three guard dogs during raids of the group's headquarters and suspected members' homes.

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved the $990,000 settlement in a closed session Monday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The decision came two months after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the county's arguments that sheriff's deputies should be immune from liability in the case.

The San Jose Police Department also was named in the suit because its officers shot the dogs, but the city hasn't worked out an agreement with club members. City Attorney Rick Doyle told the paper the case may go to trial.

Lower court judges ruled that actions of the deputies and San Jose police officers during the January 1998 were unreasonable, most of the evidence obtained was unnecessary and the officers did nothing to avoid killing the animals.

A lawyer for club members says a lot of property was destroyed in the raids and some evidence was kept for more than a year.

Ninety officers raided the club's San Jose headquarters and nine homes of suspected members to gather evidence against suspected member Steve Tausan who was being held on murder charges in connection with an August 1997 killing at a strip club.

Tausan was acquitted of all counts in 1999 after arguing the killing was in self-defense.

The settlement with the county includes $530,000 in attorney's fees and $460,000 to be divided among 15 people including eight current or former Hells Angels members, six spouses or significant others and one friend of a member.

Officers from the cities of Santa Clara and Gilroy also were involved in the raids, and those cities settled their cases several years ago for a total of less than $50,000, the plaintiffs' lawyer told the Chronicle.

Feed the beast.

Remember, those could have been your dogs.......

Quoted: Remember, those could have been your dogs.......

And your refrigerator door.  (If memory serves me as to what was taken as evidence)

Quoted: SAN JOSE, California (AP) -- A California county will pay nearly $1 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club after police shot and killed three guard dogs during raids of the group's headquarters and suspected members' homes. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved the $990,000 settlement in a closed session Monday, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The decision came two months after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the county's arguments that sheriff's deputies should be immune from liability in the case. The San Jose Police Department also was named in the suit because its officers shot the dogs, but the city hasn't worked out an agreement with club members. City Attorney Rick Doyle told the paper the case may go to trial. Lower court judges ruled that actions of the deputies and San Jose police officers during the January 1998 were unreasonable, most of the evidence obtained was unnecessary and the officers did nothing to avoid killing the animals. A lawyer for club members says a lot of property was destroyed in the raids and some evidence was kept for more than a year. Ninety officers raided the club's San Jose headquarters and nine homes of suspected members to gather evidence against suspected member Steve Tausan who was being held on murder charges in connection with an August 1997 killing at a strip club. Tausan was acquitted of all counts in 1999 after arguing the killing was in self-defense. The settlement with the county includes $530,000 in attorney's fees and $460,000 to be divided among 15 people including eight current or former Hells Angels members, six spouses or significant others and one friend of a member. Officers from the cities of Santa Clara and Gilroy also were involved in the raids, and those cities settled their cases several years ago for a total of less than $50,000, the plaintiffs' lawyer told the Chronicle.

Lawyers are scum, but the popo isan't exactly looking to bright here either.

The Big Red Machine

They SHOULD have to reimburse for damaged property, especially when the defendant is acquited.

Lower court judges ruled that actions of the deputies and San Jose police officers during the January 1998 were unreasonable, most of the evidence obtained was unnecessary and the officers did nothing to avoid killing the animals. A lawyer for club members says a lot of property was destroyed in the raids and some evidence was kept for more than a year.

I've heard of various PDs doing a search warrants where they totally trash a house.  Which I personally think is uncalled for.

... Good!

... Support your local 81 chapter today.

<---------  

At this point I'm inclined to think that anything that hastens the total bankruptcy of CA is a good thing.
~

That'll teach those JBTs

Outstanding!

Good.  

Max

Wow. A court says that enforcing the law should involve obeying the law. How will we survive?

Quoted: Moral of the story, treat everybody with respect and stop going around acting like arrogant asses shooting everyone's dog.

Thats not as much fun.  And it doesnt cure small man/wiener syndrome.  

Looks like some people are gona be riding some brand new Harleys around.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.


GL

I hope some departments don't start thinking that it would be cheaper to just require the officers to allow themselves to be attacked than it would be to allow themselves to defend themselves.  Too many good officers have quit already.  Not allowing them to defend themselves would mean even more good guys would quit.z