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From: reiher@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.legal
Subject: Outrageous Lawsuits
Message-ID: <6258@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 6-Jul-85 15:54:24 EDT
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.6258
Posted: Sat Jul  6 15:54:24 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 11-Jul-85 04:49:21 EDT
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 40

There has been some discussion of this subject recently, and I thought
that an unlikely lawsuit mentioned in the LA Times might prove of
interest.  The excerpts are from a UPI story out of Salt Lake City.

"Killer Sues Utah Prison for Letting Him Escape"

"A killer who made a daring daylight break from the Utah State Prison
with two other convicts is suing the prison for putting him in jeopardy by
letting him escape.

Murderer Walter J. Wood alleges that his constitutional rights were violated
when he "inadvertantly wandered into an escape-in-progress situation."

Wood, convicted murderer Wesley Allen Tuttle and kidnaper Darrell Eugene
Brady strolled from the prison in civilian clothes...Wood and Brady were
captured within hours...

Wood complained in the lawsuit filed this week that his forced escape
put him in several life-threatening situations.

"Because of extreme fear of being shot to death, I was forced to swim
several irrigation canals, attempt to swim a 'raging' Jordan River and
expose myself to innumerable bites by many insects.  At one point, I heard
a volley of shotgun blasts, and this completed my anxiety", wrote Wood,
who was acting as his own lawyer.

The lawsuit seeks $2 million in damages and "just punishment" for all
"prison personnel involved in allowing inmates to escape."  He also
complained that, although escape charges were dismissed, prison officials
continued to keep him in maximum security confinement.

..."


Talk about gall.
-- 
        			Peter Reiher
        			reiher@ucla-cs.arpa
				soon to be reiher@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU
        			{...ihnp4,ucbvax,sdcrdcf}!ucla-cs!reiher