Quote:
Originally Posted by donquixote99
I'm not sure i get it. Are you saying they had a right to settle the case, and a duty not to?
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Duty? No. I'm sure the attorneys on the board can speak better than I can to the gray areas and overlaps between civil and criminal cases that can cause problems for both the prosecution and the defense.
I think this is a case where the fairest course of action for the defendants would have been to wait for the adjudication of their criminal trials before agreeing to a civil settlement, as the two are joined at the hip.
Also, depending on the attorneys, judges rulings, and the mood of the jury, the city may have given the defense grounds for at least a change of venue.