Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ucla-cs.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!genrad!decvax!decwrl!greipa!pesnta!hplabs!sdcrdcf!trwrb!trwrba!cepu!ucla-cs!reiher 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