Due to the important nature of the jail and police cases we handle at Budge & Heipt, our cases are frequently featured in the news. In addition, journalists and reporters often seek to interview Ed Budge and Erik Heipt about our views on civil rights violations, including wrongful death or catastrophic injury by police or in jail or prison. Please take some time to read about our firm and our attorneys in the news, and review our blog to learn more about our firm and issues surrounding the cases we take.
The Port Townsend Leader reports on claims for denial of medical care made by Seattle jail misconduct attorneys, Budge & Heipt: ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————– Attorneys representing a man who had a finger amputated after a stay at the Jefferson County Jail in Port Hadlock have submitted in federal District Court a document alleging the routine and widespread […]
On October 12, 2004, Jefferson County, Washington, agreed to pay $1.6 million to settle a lawsuit arising from the wrongful death of Kevin Bledsoe in the Jefferson County Jail. The settlement is one of the largest ever for excessive use of force by a county in the Pacific Northwest, according to the family’s attorneys. On […]
Damon Lowery died in police custody in 1999 in Portland, Ore. A federal appeals court has given another victory to the family of a Snohomish County man who died in a 1999 struggle with police in Portland, Ore. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday declined to overturn an Oregon federal judge’s ruling […]
Jefferson County has paid $1.6 million to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit involving the March 2001 death of a 23-year old man while in custody at the county jail. The lawsuit alleged excessive force and failure to secure medical care for Kevin W. Bledsoe, who died shortly after being taken to the jail after […]
Jefferson County has agreed to pay a record $1.6 million to the parents of a young Texas man who died in 2001 while in restraints at the county jail, attorneys for the parents announced Thursday. It’s the largest such award for Jefferson County and one of the largest ever for an excessive force case in […]
BREMERTON — Jefferson County has agreed to pay $1.6 million to settle a lawsuit filed over an inmate’s death while in restraints at the county jail. Kevin Wayne Bledsoe, 23, died in 2001. His parents sued the county in federal court, alleging he was the victim of excessive force and gross mishandling by officers. “Kevin […]
The family of a Snohomish County man who died in a 1999 struggle with police in Portland, Ore., has been handed a victory by a federal judge who ruled a jury erred last fall in not holding police accountable for excessive force. U.S. District Court Judge Janice Stewart wrote she has “the definite and firm […]
Ralph Lowery sat in the courtroom, feeling old and tired and outnumbered. The deep wrinkles on the 69-year-old grandfather’s face and the slump in his shoulders showed what was going on inside. The Snohomish man was just holding on, waiting for one of the biggest battles in his life to finally end. A few feet […]
Harinder “Paul” Bains, with his son, Ikjot Bains at left, is one of three Sikhs brothers who were awarded $5 million in damages in a suit against Arco for discrimination after their contract to haul gasoline was abruptly canceled.Harinder “Paul” Bains, with his son, Ikjot Bains at left, is one of three Sikhs brothers who […]
In one of the largest police brutality verdicts in the history of the Northwest, Amy Conroy was awarded $8 million on Feb.2 by an Oregon federal district court jury. The jury found Oregon State patrolman David T. Henry guilty of excessive force. “I think the jury is sending a message, and they wanted their voices […]
If you or a loved one has been a victim of serious injury and/or death at the hands of police or in jail or prison, tell us about your case.