City On Hook For $3.24M To Ex-Cop

I haven’t had time to fully digest this court ruling on an appeal by the city of Coeur d’Alene of the jury award to former Coeur d’Alene police officer Dan Dixon and his wife, Heidi. But it sounds federal Judge Larry Boyle has sided with the Dixons after reducing the award by $499,000. The city is now facing an overall adverse judgment of $3.24 million that it’ll have to pay the Dixons re: the firing of then Lieutenant Dixon in June 2009. The plaintiff Dixons have 20 days to appeal the ruling that reduces the amount the city is to pay them. Judge Boyle’s appeal ruling here.

Statement, from Larry Beck of Beck Law Office/Hayden : “The Dixon’s are extremely pleased and relieved that one of the most highly respected federal judges has upheld approximately 90% of the jury award issued by a North Idaho jury in this case. This is the largest employment law verdict in Idaho and one of the largest jury verdictsever issued in North Idaho. The Dixons feel that it would be futile for the City to try to overturn this very well reasoned decision from Judge Boyle. Any further appeal by the City would simply be a waste of hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars in the form of additional attorney’s fees, costs and interest.”

Thoughts?