independent.co.uk
Judge slashes $38M verdict in NH youth detention abuse case
A New Hampshire judge drastically reduced a $38 million verdict in a youth detention center abuse case due to a legal dispute over the definition of an "incident."
English
United Kingdom
JusticeHuman Rights ViolationsLawsuitTrialAbuseVerdict
Youth Development CenterSununu Youth Services CenterRockingham County Superior Court
David MeehanAndrew SchulmanVictor MalavetBradley Asbury
- What options remain for David Meehan's legal team regarding the reduced verdict?
- The judge denied Meehan's motions for a new trial focusing solely on the number of incidents, suggesting a completely new trial remains a possibility, though Meehan's attorneys have not yet requested one.
- What was the primary reason for the significant reduction in the awarded damages?
- David Meehan's lawsuit, the first of over 1,100 related to abuse at the Youth Development Center, resulted in a jury verdict in his favor. However, a dispute over the interpretation of the verdict form led to the significant reduction in the award.
- How did the jurors interpret the question about the number of incidents in the verdict form?
- Jurors stated they wrote "one" on the verdict form to reflect Meehan's single diagnosis of PTSD stemming from numerous abuse incidents, which the state interpreted as liability for only one incident. This interpretation led the judge to significantly reduce the damages.
- What was the original verdict amount in David Meehan's lawsuit against the state of New Hampshire?
- Judge Andrew Schulman reduced the $38 million verdict against the state of New Hampshire to $475,000, citing a state law that caps claims at that amount per incident. The reduction followed confusion among jurors regarding the definition of an "incident" in the context of David Meehan's abuse case.
- What is the current status of the criminal investigations related to the abuse at the Youth Development Center?
- Since Meehan's lawsuit, eleven former state workers have been arrested, though one is deceased and charges were dropped against another due to incompetency. One criminal case resulted in a mistrial, and another is set to begin.