Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott Jr. plans to appeal a recent verdict that puts the city on the hook for $25.5 million for civil rights violations.
"It's a large verdict that was entered against the city. If you'll notice, it was right around a $25 million verdict. That's, obviously, very large. It's something we don't agree with, and we are appealing and doing everything we can to defend the city," McDermott told the city council Monday.
The Times says the matter stems from a robbery and rape that reportedly occurred in October of 1980. A federal jury last month awarded damages to James Hill Jr. of Gary because a retired Hammond Police captain allegedly withheld documents from prosecutors, depriving him of a fair trial.
During Monday's council meeting, McDermott called the verdict a "very serious matter" and said the city has excellent attorneys. "I want to point out that I was 11 years old when this occurred. Obviously, that was a long time ago for all of us. Some of us weren't even born at that time, and we're defending a case that happened a long time ago," McDermott said.
The mayor noted that the city had a similar case years ago and ended up negotiating for a much smaller amount.
