Jan 8, 2006 12:15 pm US/Central
Woman Awarded $160K In Suit Against Cass County
Minneapolis (AP) ―
A Cass County woman has won $160,000 in a lawsuit against a former sheriff's office employee who she said had sexually assaulted her while taking her to jail.
Wanda L. Jones, 39, of Walker, Minn., sued the county and its employee. A federal jury in Minneapolis ruled in favor of her Friday in the suit against the employee. The ruling came on top of a $150,000 settlement reached with the county in November.
Jones' attorney David Garelick called the verdict "real vindication" for Jones.
The incident took place on Jan. 1, 2002, when Jones was arrested for a probation violation. During the ride to the jail, transport officer Robert J. Stoneking pulled the van into a wooded area, where Jones said she was sexually assaulted.
Stoneking's attorney, Duluth attorney Craig Hunter, argued that it was consensual sex.
The officer had pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sexual conduct. The conduct was illegal because he was an employee at the sheriff's office, and Jones was under the supervision of the correctional system. Stoneking resigned from his job.
Jones then sued, saying she was raped. Her attorney argued to the jury Friday that Jones wasn't in a position to consent and feared for her safety.
"She has continued to be haunted by the humiliation and the shame of this these past few years, so it's a watershed for her," Garelick said. "For her to have gone through the trial and stood up for herself ... shows that she's very courageous."
The jury of eight men found that Jones hadn't voluntarily consented and awarded her $100,000 in actual damages and $60,000 in punitive damages.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
