Latest from The Spokesman-Review

• City, Zehm family will enter mediation regarding lawsuit

  February 10, 2012 in City on Page A1 In the first significant step toward a possible settlement, Spokane city leaders and attorneys representing the mother and estate of Otto Zehm announced late Thursday that they will enter mediation … 25

• City wins civil suit over man’s suicide

  February 9, 2012 in City on Page A6 A federal judge Wednesday ruled for the city of Spokane in a $4.7 million civil lawsuit brought by the family of a suicidal man who jumped off the Monroe Street … 16

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  Zehm settlement elusive

  December 16, 2011 in City on Page A5 Despite calling for “all courses of action” four months ago to settle the civil suit brought by the mother and estate of Otto Zehm, it appears Mary Verner will step … 52

• Zehm family feeling ‘shut out,’ lawyer says

    October 6, 2011 in City on Page A5 A federal judge will hold another hearing this morning after attorneys objected to moving the upcoming criminal trial of Spokane police Officer Karl F. Thompson Jr. to Yakima. U.S. District … 29

• Mayor pushes to resolve Zehm suit

  August 17, 2011 in City on Page A1 Spokane Mayor Mary Verner announced Tuesday that she is seeking “all courses of action” to resolve the civil case surrounding the city’s handling of the fatal 2006 confrontation between Spokane … 28

• Medical expert: Officers caused Zehm’s death

    August 15, 2011 in News, City A medical expert hired by the Spokane police officer facing criminal charges over the fatal Otto Zehm confrontation is blaming other officers at the scene for causing the unarmed janitor’s … 25

• City reconsiders Zehm strategy

    August 10, 2011 in City on Page A1 The Spokane Police Department’s second-in-command believes an officer didn’t follow department policy in the fatal 2006 confrontation with Otto Zehm, contradicting his previous statements. That revelation prompted Spokane Mayor Mary … 40

• Sheriff, coalition discuss jail issues, reoffenders

  June 16, 2011 in City on Page A8 Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich and members of the No New Jail Coalition found a few points of agreement Wednesday. They appeared together at a meeting of the Spokane chapter of Washington …

• Speakers: Bigger jail may not be needed

  April 29, 2011 in City on Page A11 A Seattle University law professor told Spokane’s Rotary Club 21 on Thursday that Spokane County’s new jail needs to be only as big as its legal policies. Robert Boruchowitz told … 5

• Records dispute before high court

  January 28, 2011 in City on Page A8 OLYMPIA – When a neighborhood group in 2006 demanded records about alleged nepotism in Spokane County, county officials said they checked employees’ current computers. But they didn’t check the hard … 1

• Spokane County public records case goes to high court

  January 27, 2011 in News, City OLYMPIA – When a neighborhood group in 2006 demanded records about alleged nepotism in Spokane County, county officials said they checked employees’ current computers. But they didn’t check the hard … 6

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  Woman can’t shake felony’s impact

  January 9, 2011 in City on Page A1 Kristin Bell had what she calls a moment of weakness that has turned into a 2 1/2-year legal nightmare and forced her to give up a dream of ever working … 80

• Recent police shootings raise notion of inquests

  December 19, 2010 in City on Page A1 Nearly four months after their father was shot to death by a deputy sheriff in Spokane Valley, sons of Wayne Scott Creach are still looking for answers. Police detectives investigating … 70

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  Collection method triggers lawsuit

    December 15, 2010 in City on Page A5 After crashing into another car during a police chase in 2001, Spokane resident Lisa Orvis served eight months in jail and was ordered to pay $24,000 restitution. A decade of … 2

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  Students, volunteers fill fraction of need for free legal aid

  November 14, 2010 in City on Page A1 The sagging local economy has flooded local courts with people in financial trouble who can’t pay for what could help them most: an attorney to guide them. Only a few … 8

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  Officers making life or death decisions in an instant

    November 7, 2010 in City on Page A1 Facing the muzzle of a gun, a Spokane County sheriff’s deputy said he had one immediate thought: death. Ryan Walter squeezed off eight rounds at the gunman, Donald J. Lafavor. … 64

• ACLU argues city denied rights

    September 23, 2010 in City on Page A5 The American Civil Liberties Union says the Spokane city attorney’s office violated the constitutional rights of a local attorney. In a letter to city officials last week, Michael Kipling, an … 8

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  Veterans Court weighs stress of war service

  September 19, 2010 in City on Page A1 After surviving 15 months in one of the most dangerous places on Earth, Iraq war veteran Carl Jacobson thought he could cope with just about anything civilian life had to … 7

• Lawsuit filed over jump from bridge

  July 27, 2010 in City on Page A6 Attorneys have filed a $4.7 million federal civil suit against the Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Sheriff’s Department for their failed attempt to keep a mentally ill man from … 12

• Lawsuit filed in Monroe Street Bridge suicide

  July 26, 2010 in City Attorneys on Monday filed a $4.7 million federal civil suit against the Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office for their failed attempt to keep a mentally-ill man from … 21

• County to pay $50,000 to settle suit in death of Trent Yohe

  March 23, 2010 in City Spokane County commissioners approved a $50,000 settlement Tuesday in the May 2007 death of a Spokane Valley man who fought with sheriff’s deputies. 4

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  Center for Justice loses lawyer

  February 23, 2010 in City on Page A5 Breean Beggs, the self-described chief catalyst for the public interest law firm Center for Justice, announced his resignation Monday, citing both fewer financial resources at the firm and aspirations for … 5

• Center for Justice director to resign

  February 22, 2010 in City Breean Beggs, the self-described chief catalyst for the public interest law firm Center for Justice, announced his resignation today citing both fewer financial resources at the firm and aspirations for … 14

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  Candidates’ home addresses become issue in judicial race

  October 20, 2009 in City on Page A1 The single contested race for Spokane Municipal Court judge has somehow morphed into a battle of addresses rather than qualifications for the job. Judge Tracy Staab, who was appointed 10 … 3

• Feds unhappy with city attorney

    September 13, 2009 in City on Page B1 Federal prosecutors have grown increasingly critical of what they describe as questionable behavior by the Spokane Police Department’s chief legal adviser, who reportedly used his position to provide “traditionally confidential” … 7

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  Court upholds thousands of verdicts

  September 4, 2009 in City on Page A1 The state Supreme Court may have saved the city of Spokane millions of dollars Thursday by ruling that district court judges had the authority to try city cases. But the … 1

• Thompson supporters raise cash

  August 25, 2009 in City on Page A1 Friends of Otto Zehm wore small blue buttons that read “Otto” in support of the mentally ill janitor, after he died in 2006 following a struggle with Spokane police. Now … 18

• County broke records law, court says

  August 14, 2009 in City on Page A7 Spokane County didn’t look hard enough for documents sought by a citizens group when it alleged nepotism in county hiring, a state appeals court has said. Now the county faces … 2

• Petition proposes big changes to charter

  April 7, 2009 in City on Page A5 A coalition of neighborhood activists, union members and environmental groups has begun gathering signatures to put a wide-ranging change to the Spokane City Charter on the November ballot. But some … 5

• Yohe’s blood, medical records obtained

  June 14, 2007 in City on Page B3 Police detectives used a search warrant to get an unconscious man’s medical records immediately after his May 1 encounter with sheriff’s deputies in Spokane Valley, court records show. That tactic, …