Federal Jury Awards Maria Guzman A Whopping $1 For The "Emotional Distress" She Claims Was Caused By Chicago Police
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In 2005, Maria Guzman filed a civil rights lawsuit against Chicago police officers claiming her home was illegally searches and she was unlawfully detained. Police officers had a valid search warrant. The search warrant was for a single family residence. After being in Guzman's home for twenty minutes, police officers realized that it was not a single family residence as it appeared from outside - so they left. Defendants won summary judgment, but the case was reversed by the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. The Court held that the search was illegal because the officers should have known they were not in a single family home and left earlier.
At her damages trial, Guzman claimed she was "emotionally distressed" by these twenty minutes. Guzman claimed police put her unborn baby into distress and caused her to have contractions when she was only thirty weeks pregnant. Guzman asked the the jury for thousands of dollars in "medical expenses" and unspecified damages for "emotional distress."
The jury saw right through it all and came back in under two hours with a $1 verdict for the "technical violation."
Mary McCahill, Anne Preston, and Tom Platt of the Corporation Counsel's Office represented the police officers.
Larry Jackowiak, Louis Meyer, and Adele Nicholas represented Guzman.
Another great result!!!
