Cops' 'hurt feelings' not worth $250K to court

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-sher23.html

Three members of the Cook County Sheriff's elite jail guard unit claim they were "humiliated" and "suffered emotional distress" because they were handcuffed and briefly jailed for their roles in a brawl outside a Chicago nightclub.

And though Ismail Muhammad, Joshua Norris and Flamur Trahsani suffered no serious injuries in the 1998 melee with bouncers at the Excalibur nightclub, a jury granted them $250,000 for distress and the humiliation they endured.

But on Thursday, the Appellate Court of Illinois reversed that award, saying the bouncers didn't engage in "extreme or outrageous conduct" against the officers, who the court said didn't suffer from any "intentional infliction of emotional distress."

The court said a combined award of $250,000 is "improper," as "claims of bruised ego and hurt feelings, of humiliation and embarrassment do not support" an award of that amount.

[REP]

1. Hurts When The Shoe's On the Other Foot, Eh?

While I don't accuse these three guards of using inappropriate or "extreme or outrageous conduct" with inmates, they got a taste of how it feels to be 'corrected' when they break rules.

I agree - 250K for getting bounced for being involved in a brawl in unreasonable.