More than two years after a wrongful death lawsuit was filed on behalf of Alton Sterling’s children, the city-parish and the plaintiffs have yet to come to a settlement agreement, raising the chances of the case making it to trial, scheduled for April 20.
And attorneys on both sides appear to be preparing for such a scenario, as they file motions to sort out important questions ahead of the trial—such as whether the city’s liability is limited by state law, even though the lawsuit involves federal claims, or if the city must indemnify the police officers named as co-defendants in the suit.
Once those issues are figured out, however, the bigger question, if this lawsuit goes to trial, will be whether the Sterling family has a strong enough case to be awarded damages.
And if so, how will the city pay whatever amount for which it’s found liable?
Baton Rouge has a specific fund in its budget for this purpose. It’s called the Insurance Reserve Fund, which provides money for settlements and judgments, as well as workers’ compensation claims, among other things, says Mayor Sharon Weston Broome’s spokesperson Mark Armstrong.
The fund has roughly $19.9 million dedicated for claims and judgments in 2019.
The question of whether damages will actually be awarded is the more difficult one to answer.
Read the full story from the latest edition of Business Report, which looks deeper at what Baton Rouge can expect from the lawsuit.
