By: Editorial Staff A lawsuit by the Springfield, Mass., Union-News seeking information about a settlement between Springfield officials and the family of a motorist fatally shot by police ended successfully for the newspaper when the city agreed to disclose the $700,000 settlement amount last week.
Springfield city officials disclosed on April 7 that the family of Benjamin Schoolfield, a 20-year-old black man shot during a 1994 traffic stop by police, had received the $700,000 amount. Judge Peter A. Velis ruled on April 2 that the newspaper was entitled to the information.
Although the police officer involved in the shooting was cleared of wrongdoing by a grand jury, the victim's family won a $2 million federal jury award last June. The award was eventually reduced following mediation between the victim's family and city officials.
?(Editor & Publisher Web Site: http://www.mediainfo.com) [Caption]
?(Copyright: Editor & Publisher April 10,1999) [Caption]
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