Sandra Bland's family settles for $1.9M in wrongful death suit

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNN

Updated 8:00 AM ET, Thu September 15, 2016

(CNN) Sandra Bland's family has reached a $1.9 million settlement from a wrongful death lawsuit, the family's attorney said Thursday.

The settlement includes compensation for Bland's death as well as several changes to jail procedures in Waller County, Texas, where Bland died.

The details of the settlement were finalized Wednesday night, attorney Cannon Lambert said.
Bland was found dead in her jail cell three days after she was arrested for failing to use her turn signal in July 2015.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/15/us/sandra-bland-wrongful-death-settlement/index.html

---

Coming across the wires... short article so far.

This case was just pathetically sad. I hope there will be some closure.

[metroins]

1. Didn't she commit suicide?

I see no reason the family should have gotten any money.

Maybe cheaper than fighting the lawsuits and put into an annuity they're only out 800k or so.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. The claim was that she did

but this was in dispute which was the reason for the lawsuits. The fact that there was a settlement suggests all sorts of illegal things that the PD there did leading up to what happened to her.

[TipTok]

20. It was disputed by the family...

... but there was never any proof.

The settlement is more likely given for claims that the jailers should have watched her more closely. There were some procedural errors like pre signing check in sheets etc... so there was some liability there.

[BumRushDaShow]

24. There was all sorts of liability

And far too many PDs refuse to change the disparate treatment.

[Dustlawyer]

3. Maybe there are things you don't know about the case.

We haven't read the depositions and discovery answers. Evidently, the case survived Summary Judgement and there was evidence of wrongdoing and/or negligence.

[metroins]

6. There are most certainly things I don't know

Barely followed the case at all.

[heaven05]

10. evidently

[cstanleytech]

4. Yes she did but she told them she was suicidal and rather than put her in a cell that

they could easily monitor in and that had nothing to hurt herself with they put her in a cell away from being easily seen and it had trash bags in it which is what she used to hang herself with so the county is getting off cheap as they could have lost a hell of alot more at trial.

[metroins]

5. Ah

That makes more sense now.

[whathehell]

9. The cops were also supposed to check on her, ala suicide watch, and did not.

The Bland family deserves every bit of that money and more....She never should have been jailed in the first place.
Her "crime" was a minor traffic violation, something anyone else would get a $25 ticket for. Instead
the cop made her get out of the car, wrestled her to the ground, and threw her in jail for days. A disgraceful display
of abuse of power.

[cstanleytech]

11. I agree and disagree.

Yes, the Blands deserve the money because the jail was 100% negligent but if I recall she was arrested for refusing to comply with his lawful orders to put her cigarette out as well as to step out of her vehicle.
Yes, I know the cigarette order sounds weird but if you think about it its also about safety because what if she had set it down and had it started a fire she could have been hurt and her car could have been severely damaged and then the officer probably would have been found negligent.

[whathehell]

15. Basically, she was arrested for being an educated, outspoken black female

Cops in Waller County, it seems, don't take to such behavior from black females.

The cigarette order, to my understanding, was NOT lawful as she was in her own vehicle and there was absolutely NO reason
for her to get out of her car. Again, she'd done nothing but forget to signal a lane change. How many white men do you
see getting that treatment for such things?

[cstanleytech]

30. No, she was arrested for apparently refusing to comply with a lawful order by

an officer of the law which in general is a bad idea to do for anyone.

[whathehell]

32. Interesting to see you siding with the cop on nothing more than a guess

because "apparently" a court of law disagreed with your "officer of the law".

Maybe you don't like outsoken, educated females either

[cstanleytech]

34. Ah yes the old flinging of unsubstantiated wild accusations when confronted with facts.

Well played.

[whathehell]

35. Lol..You don't have any "facts"..You have a guess, an "apparently"

The only "fact" here is that the jury found that your esteemed officer fucked up to the tune of a million plus. --- Deal with it.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

45. First off, the stop was over when Bland offended the white cop's authoritah and angered him...

... enough to escalate a minor traffic offense in to a removal.


He had no reason, other than his bruised ego, to further detain her or control her actions. The demand to put out the cigarette was not a lawful order. Actually the request wasn't even an order; it was a request "do you mind putting out your cigarette please? If you don't mind?" The demand to exit the vehicle was not a lawful order as it was clearly, and by his own words, not necessary during a concluded investigation (the warning was already written).

The arrest was unlawful as it was based on failure to obey unlawful orders.

DPS fired the trooper for violating traffic stop policy AND the subsequent perjury indictment.

His own department didn't even back him on the arrest. Why are you??

Bland was a victim while she sat in that cell. There is a saying in law that you take your victims as you find them. In this case, it was a victim suffering depression and prior suicide attempts.

The trooper caused her death. And that is before you factor in all the policy violations by the jailers.

The state got off easy.

Huff post had a transcript of the arrest video. Watch the arrest video and then read the transcript. Pay special attention to the cop's call to his supervisor. He knows he fucked up and he lies through his fucking teeth to his boss.

Had she not died and caused a serious investigation, this would have been just one of thousands and thousands of successful cases of testilying and purjory by police.

[pnwmom]

7. One of the effects of a sudden withdrawal of her epilepsy medication -- which they took away

from her -- is an increased risk of suicide. They should have had a medical person see her right away and gotten that prescription to her. One of the conditions of the settlement was that they have to have medical staff available during all shifts now:

Providing an on-duty staff nurse or emergency medical technician for all shifts

And they never should have arrested her in the first place, for changing lanes without signaling -- just to get out of the police car's way.

http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/07/31/texas-law-enforcement-is-to-blame-for-sandra-blands-death-by-medical-or-suicide-negligence-podcast/

It is also possible that she committed suicide after being denied her epilepsy medication, Keppra, which comes with strong warnings to withdraw gradually.

Furthermore, a cursory google search of the anti-convulsant drug Keppra (Levetiracetam) reveals a suicide risk of “one in 500” according to the drug’s official website.

That’s more than 20 times higher risk than a normal American’s 10 per 100,000 rate of suicide.

According to our expert interview with Dr. Cyril H. Wecht, it is additionally strongly possible that Bland died from a combination of traumatic brain injury from her arrest, coupled with stress and the denial by jailers of her epilepsy medication.

[cstanleytech]

12. I wonder if she had missed her dosage now before she was even in jail?

If she did it might explain her belligerent attitude because I know when I forget to take my insulin I can get extremely irritable and yes I will admit it..........downright nasty.

[whathehell]

16. Excuse me, but I saw the entire tape..She was NOT belligerent at all initially

Her attitude was calm and polite...HE was belligerent.

I'm surprisedn at the dogged defense of the cop in the case..I don't know, maybe if she'd been a Black MALE, she'd be getting a little more sympathy here.

[cstanleytech]

29. As did I but she did become that way after he asked her to put the cigarette out and refusing was

a mistake on her part.
Could the cop have chosen to overlook it? Sure but he didnt and then when he ordered her out of the car thats when things really snowballed.

[whathehell]

33. She didn't deserve to die for a "mistake"..Again, I sense

you & a few other would-be "progressives" here would be more sympathetic if Sandra was a msn... An "uppity" woman is something males of all races seem a bit "fragile" about.

[pnwmom]

38. I think her "belligerent attitude" came from knowing they had NO GOOD REASON to arrest her

or to throw her to the ground. They followed her for no reason. And when she pulled over to let them go past her, they arrested her -- for pulling over without signaling.

And yet I didn't see a belligerent attitude in the arrest video. If there ever was one, it came later.

[Stellar]

19. That's what the 'courts' said that she committed suicide (info from police).

The videos that I've seen where the police department usually lie and stick up for one another and able to kill with impunity (through the courts)...I trust my lying eyes more than I trust them. But perhaps you do, because you trust them and because they say so.

[TipTok]

21. Guessing is fun but where is the evidence...

Especially the evidence that was already provided which points directly to suicide?

[Stellar]

23. Where is the evidence that said she committed suicide...do you know. nt

[TipTok]

36. A brief google search...

... turns up a video feed, an autopsy with no signs of struggle, and a witness prisoner who claims she said Bland was upset but never heard a noise or commotion.

Couple that with a history of suicide attempts and a follow on autopy by the family that was never released....

[Stellar]

39. lol! nt

[TipTok]

40. First... It's not really that funny...

Second... Did you have something to add or was that it?

[Stellar]

41. I'm done with this topic!

[heaven05]

46. this

is a pitiful and typical head in sand response. Geez!!!!!

[brush]

27. What evidence? You believe a bunch of racists who have reason to cover up what actually happened?

[catbyte]

26. Are you kidding? Have you read ANYTHING about this case?

It stinks to high heaven.

[metroins]

31. A little

Woman arrested
Commits suicide in cell

That's about as much as I knew until I asked.

Apparently they withheld some medication and she had told people she was suicidal when she was taken in. Now it starts to make sense.

[catbyte]

37. They arrested her on suspicious charges, too. It really does reek. She had just moved

there from up north to start a new job--she certainly wasn't suicidal before her arrest. Something either catastrophic happened in jail or she didn't commit suicide. Either way, there's no way that she should be dead.

[Judi Lynn]

44. Unbelievable. You think nothing should have been done about this vicious, racist crime. Great.

Why try to tell other people about it?

We all read the news, and are very aware what happened.

If you think everything went exactly as it should have, that's not something you want to tell everyone.

Rest in peace, to this good lady who had just moved to Texas to start a new job. She will be remembered for a very long time by people of conscience.

[Gothmog]

8. Waller County is full of racist idiots

I am glad that the Bland family was able to get a decent settlement

[classykaren]

18. They really deserve way more. I hope the cop is at least fired.

People heard her yelling in jail for help that they were going to kill her and they did lots of cover up in this.

[raging moderate]

13. The police officer slammed Sandra Bland's head against the pavement.

He admitted it on that tape. And said something like "Good!" about that.

[whathehell]

17. Yes, and that was AFTER she'd told him she had epilepsy..

The cop said "good", after she revealed her condition, while he continued to rough her up.

[Sunlei]

14. pathetically sad for an end of life for Sandra. The autopsy report said a cut on her back still had

leaves embedded in the wound. She didn't even have her small physical wounds cleaned.

A dog in the dog pound gets better treatment!

[mountain grammy]

25. alone, in a cell, in a hostile environment

her whole life ahead of her and here she is for a minor traffic violation. Jim Crow all over again. Not enough money in the world for this family.

[Kind of Blue]

22. Thanks for the update, BRDS.

The family did a great job. I hope this does bring some closure and furthers healing.

[gwheezie]

28. I just saw her mom on tamrons show

My heart breaks for her and every family that has to face this kind of loss. No amount of $ can bring closure to grief.

[cigsandcoffee]

42. This being the same family that refused to bail her out when she called from jail? n/t

[JonLP24]

43. From what I can find it was a male friend

She was living that ignored her calls while it says the family was in the process of securing the 10% of $5000 needed for bond.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Sandra_Bland