Venus Anderson has filed the suit in federal court against the city of Highland Park and two police officers, claiming that they used excessive force in firing nine shots in under two seconds, killing her son.

Anderson was involved in a car crash during the evening hours of November 3, and he was taken to NorthShore Highland Park Hospital. A few hours later, a 911 call was made from the hospital. The caller reported that Anderson had a gun. 

Police said that upon their arrival, Anderson drew the gun and refused to put it down, despite several warnings.

An investigation by the Lake County state’s attorney’s office determined that the police officers involved in the incident followed correct protocol. However, Venus Anderson claims in the lawsuit that unreasonable force was used, and that the aggressive barrage of gunfire, certain to kill, was uncalled for. Neither the city of Highland Park nor the police department would comment on the lawsuit, stating that they had yet to see the complaint. However, an attorney for the city stated that based on the “known facts,” there is no basis for the city to be liable.

The lawsuit seeks compensatory and punitive damages.

Paul Greenberg is a Chicago wrongful death lawyer with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

This sting used surveillance video at the scene of the undercover location.  This includes audio and video surveillance of the alleged crime.  This surveillance can help establish a defense in some cases and, in others, make the prosecution case stronger.  There should always be video in criminal case and especially in cases that involve allegations of underage children and sex.  Emotions can run high by the undercover officers involved and they have a built in bias to arrest people.  That can color a person’s memory.  A video removes any bias or memory lapses with instant replay.  This only holds true as long as the surveillance equipment is set up correctly and the proper procedures and protocols for running a child sex sting are followed properly.

Allegedly the suspects brought various items such as candy and condoms which is common in these types of cases.  These are very serious crimes that can result in prison sentences, suspects being labeled as sexual predators or sexual offenders, and subject the men to the Jimmy Ryce Act.

If you have been arrested for a serious felony offense, retain an experienced criminal lawyer that knows how to defend these types of sex crimes.

CALL NOW AND SPEAK TO AN EXPERIENCED SEX CRIMES ATTORNEY

THOMAS C. GRAJEK 863-688-4606

David Hatyina submitted the plea as part of a negotiated plea deal before Judge Clinton Hull of the Kane County Circuit Court. As part of the guilty plea, Hatyina admitted he had alcohol and drugs in his system when he struck and killed Anthony Borcia on Petite Lake on July 28, 2012. The plea is likely to affect the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Borcia family against Hatyina and a passenger in his boat.

Hatyina remains free on $1 million bond and is due back in court for a pre-sentencing hearing on May 16, with sentencing scheduled for June. Judge Hull was appointed to preside over the case because the Borcia family has ties to a Lake County judge. Hull told Hatyina that he could be sentenced to a maximum of 14 years in prison, or could receive probation if the judge determines there are “outstanding circumstances” in the case.

Hatyina was first charged with reckless homicide and other charges that were dropped as part of the plea agreement. According to prosecutors, Hatyina ran over the boy with his boat, traveling at approximately 40 miles per hour, and was later found by police to have a blood alcohol content of .09 to .12 percent, and cocaine in his system.

The wrongful death lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $50,000 for the boy’s mother and for each member of his immediate family that witnessed the boy’s death.

Paul Greenberg is a Chicago wrongful death attorney with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

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The accident occurred April 5 in Lake County, when a school bus collided with a Jeep Cherokee and a Jeep Wrangler at an intersection near Wadsworth. The driver of the Jeep Wrangler was killed; none of the school children had serious injuries. There is a dispute as to whether the bus ran a red light. According to reports, the bus driver is 55 years of age and has been a licensed bus driver for 10 years, with a clean driving record.

According to a report by CBS 2, Durham School Services, the company that owns the bus involved in the accident, has been named as a defendant in three personal injury lawsuits in the past two years. A settlement was reached in one case and the other two are pending. Durham School Services said that safety is the company’s top priority and the company will cooperate fully with authorities investigating the accident.

Public attention has also been brought to the intersection where the accident occurred: the corner of Kilbourne Road and Route 173 near Wadsworth in suburban Lake County. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, between 2004 and 2011, 53 accidents took place at the intersection, with a total of 24 people injured and one killed. It is described as a “high-severity crash” intersection. Traffic lights were installed just last year with the goal of improving safety.

Meanwhile, although the school children on board the bus escaped with only minor injuries, the accident has spurred renewed calls for mandatory seat belts on school buses. State Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie Democrat, has pushed for new school buses to be equipped with shoulder and lap belts for students. Lang has been working for such legislation for 10 years, with little success.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), school buses are one of the safest transportation methods for school kids. The chance of a fatal crash for children is 60 times greater if they are driving themselves to school or riding with a friend, and riding with parents is still much more dangerous than riding a school bus. The sheer size of school buses allows the force of a crash to be dispersed, and occupants are protected by closely-spaced, heavily padded seats.

Bob Briskman is a Chicago vehicle accident attorney with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. To learn more call 1.877.595.4878 or visit http://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/.

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