The Denver Post
Childs settlement puts city over '03 tally
Tuesday, June 08, 2004 -
The cumulative value of legal claims settled by Denver this year will exceed last year's tally, due mostly to a $1.325 million settlement finalized Monday with the family of Paul Childs.
Denver had settled claims for $467,490 in 2004 prior to cinching the Childs settlement. That compares with $1,099,249 in settlements in 2003, according to a report distributed Monday by the City Attorney's Office. Both annual figures pale in comparison with 2002, when Denver settled claims for a cumulative $4,491,752. That figure mushroomed because of a $3.5 million settlement with the family of Randy Bartel, who was killed in 1989 when an officer ran a red light while responding to a nonemergency call. "The price of doing business as a city is very expensive," Councilman Michael Hancock said during a meeting to review the settlements. In each year, settlements of claims involving the city's police force exceed those of any other single department. Others that posted large settlement figures were the city's Street Maintenance and Solid Waste departments. City Attorney Cole Finegan said Monday that his department has handled more legal work on its own. He anticipates paying outside lawyers $650,000 in fees this year - about half 2002's tab. |