Llera v. LVMPD: Day 10 - Verdict
Yesterday, after almost 3 days of deliberation and two weeks of trial, the jury finally came to a verdict on Jorge’s case. While the verdict was being read, only two of the officers were actually present in the courtroom. John Squeo left as soon as the verdict was read. The verdict brought some positive news, but was also a reminder that the road to receiving complete justice for Jorge isn’t finished.
The jury’s verdict is as follows:
Claim 1, that John Squeo violated Jorge’s right to free speech, the jury ruled in favor of Jorge’s family
Jorge’s family receives $1.5 million in compensation
Claim 2, that John Squeo acted with excessive force, the jury ruled in favor of the defense
Claim 3, that Squeo engaged in assault and battery against Jorge, the jury ruled in favor of the defense
Claim 4, that the officers acted with excessive force:
The jury ruled against Fryman, in favor of Jorge’s estate, which will award them $2.5 million in compensatory damages.
The jury ruled in favor of Emerton, claiming that he did not act with excessive force.
The jury ruled in favor of Ferguson, claiming that he did not act with excessive force.
The jury ruled in favor of Locher, claiming that he did not act with excessive force.
Claim 5, that the officers engaged in battery against Jorge:
The jury ruled against Fryman, in favor of Jorge’s family, which will award them $2.5 million in compensatory damages.
The jury ruled in favor of Emerton, claiming that he is not responsible for battery.
The jury ruled in favor of Ferguson, claiming that he is not responsible for battery.
The jury ruled in favor of Ferguson, claiming that he is not responsible for battery.
Because Fryman was the supervising officer that night, the jury seemed to have wanted to hold him accountable. However, officers like Squeo, who fired bean bags directly at Jorge for simply walking along, and Locher, who fired the skip rounds that likely killed Jorge, got off completely free.
Many of us, Jorge’s family included, have mixed emotions about the verdict. While the jury’s verdict upheld the right to free speech and held officer Fryman accountable for excessive force and battery, the other officers were not held accountable. There were no punitive damages awarded.
However, Jorge’s family’s attorney, Dale Galipo, pointed out that this is a victory for this jurisdiction, which is not friendly to these types of cases. He said he is relieved and thankful to the jury for hearing the case and providing some small recourse for Jorge’s family. Of the total $6 million awarded, $4 million was the result of federal charges. These values may be reduced to some degree according to Nevada state law.
Jorge’s mother, Jeanne, said that she hopes that winning the first amendment claim lifts up the right to continue to protest against police brutality and violence and voice what’s important. To her, this was especially important because Jorge was part of the community and stood for this right. Still, she emphasized that we have to keep on fighting because the officers were not all held accountable.
The work is not yet over in the fight for justice for Jorge and all victims of police violence. Join us for a vigil for Jorge tonight, Tuesday, at 6pm at the Federal Courthouse building at 333 Las Vegas Blvd to honor Jorge’s life, stand with his family, and continue to demand justice and accountability from lvmpd.
