278679 WHITE - CITY CLERK ��(1��
PINK - FINANCE i R
CANARY - DEPARTMENT C I TY O F SA I NT I,A u L COUIICII t�
BLUE - MAYOR
File N .
Council Resolution
Presented By
Referred To Committee: Date
Out of Committee By Date
RESOLVED, that upon execution and delivery of a release
in full to the City of Saint Paul, the proper City officers
are hereby authorized and directed to pay out of the Tort
Liability Fund 09070-511-424, to Beulah J. Webster and
Jeffrey A. Hassan, her attorney, the sum of Two Thousand
and No/100 Dollars ($2,000) in full settlement of her claim
for dama.ges sustained on February 6, 1980 as more particularly
set out in a communication to the City Council at its meeting
on April 29, 1980; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the check be mailed to Mr. Hassan
at Suite 804 Minnesota Building, St. Paul, NIN 55101.
COU[VCILMEIV Requested by Department of:
Yeas Nays
Hunt
Levine In Favor
Maddox �
M��M,�� _ __ Against BY
—�edesee
Wiison
MAY 13 1982 Form Ap oved by C'ty A o e
Adopted by Council: Date —
Certified P s_ d y Council Se tar
B� ^
Approve y : vor Date _ �� � `19$Z Ap o by Mayor for S m' sion to Council
sy B _
i'UBLISNED M AY 2 2 19�
• • �i��� /a�.�
��1==0, CITY OF SAINT PAUL
�� �
; � OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY
; iiii�i i�n a
p „ EDWARD P. STARR, CITY ATTORNEY
,... 647 City Hall, Saint Paul,Minnesota 55102
612-298-5121
GEORGE LATIMER
MAYOR
May 4, 1982 R���I�V�Li�
MAY 5 - 1.qg2
MAYORS OFFICE
M E M 0 R A N D U M
T0: Members of the City Council
FROM: Frank E. Villaume III,�
Deputy City Attorney �
RE: Webster v. DeWitt, et al.
This is a claim of alleged police misconduct and violation of
civil rights which arose on March 6, 1980. The plaintiff is
a black woman who was enroute to the Oneida Community Center
when she was stopped by a St. Paul police officer who believed
her headlight to be defective. The officer learned that there
was a warrant for the plaintiff' s arrest and an arrest was ma.de
for a registration violation in Falcon Heights. The plaintiff
resisted the efforts of the officer to effect the arrest and
some force was required to remove her from the community center
and take her downtown.
The plaintiff contends that there was nothing wrong with her
headlight and the stop was a pretext. She further claims that
the officers used excessive and unreasonable force. The officers
ma.intain that the headlight was malfunctioning when the plaintiff
was first stopped and some reasonable force was necessary be-
cause of the plaintiff' s vigorous resistance. Although the
plaintiff claimed that she had some bruises on her arms and
wrists., she received no medical attention and incurred no medieal
expenses and missed no time from work.
This office vigorously defended the police officers and maintained
that it was a case of no liability. However, the ma.tter was
brought in Federal Court and assigned to Judge Miles Lord. At a
,���
� � � 2'1�6'�9
Members of the Council
Page Two
May 4, 1982
pre-trial held on April 22, Judge Lord, in effect, ordered the
City to pay $2,000 to settle the matter. The practicalities
of the situation dictated that we ma.ke that offer and Judge Lord
was equally forceful in requiring the plaintiff to accept it.
The Office of the City Attorney recommends approval of this
settlement.
FEV:jr
Attachment