Civil Remedies for Victims of Crime

Apartment Security: Lipsmann v. Apartment Owner

Paulee was raped by an intruder who gained access to her first floor apartment through a defective horizontal sliding window. She had complained about the window's failure to lock securely on three separate occasions in writing and several additional times by phone. No repair was ever effectuated. She was one of the very first rape victims to sue a landlord for creating conditions conducive to crime. The case was settled for a confidential amount. (See Trial magazine article.)

Safety in Public Places: Crook v. Tavern

Angela Crook was only 19 when she went to a neighborhood bar with friends. At closing time, she was kidnapped in her own car from the bar's parking lot and raped by a man who had become drunk in the bar. The convicted and jailed rapist was the most persuasive witness in our case against the bar which settled for a confidential amount.

Hotel Safety: Monica Samuels v. Florida hotel

The young woman on a business trip to Florida selected an inexpensive hotel. Her assailant easily entered her room with a brass key apparently retained when he previously stayed in the hotel, raped her and threw her over the outside balcony two stories to the ground, breaking her back. Case against hotel settled for confidential amount.

Domestic Violence: Ewart v. City of Keokuk, Lee County and various law enforcement officers

Melissa Ewart married Michael shortly after she graduated from high school and after the birth of their little girl. Michael hit her and threw things at her and the baby. Her attempts to get protection from local law enforcement failed. She left him after less then a year, but he continued to stalk her and threaten her. She continued to call law enforcement officials for assistance, to no avail. He stabbed her 32 times across the street from the Police Station and left her lying there to bleed to death in front of their two-year-old daughter. Case settled for a confidential amount.

Abuse by a Trusted Professional: Morgan v. Teacher and School District

Julie Morgan became the sexual victim of a female parochial school teacher when she was only 12-years-old and in the 7th grade. She was unable to extricate herself from the exploitive relationship until she was nearly 20, and came into a college counseling service suicidal and desperate. Case was tried for five days to a jury and settled before verdict for confidential amount.

Child Sexual Abuse: Greiner v. Greiner

Jane Greiner and her sisters were repeatedly abused sexually by her grandfather from the age of six to the age of sixteen. Unlike many children, Jane told. She told her mother. She told her grandmother. She told her teacher. All ignored her. When she reached maturity, she sued her grandfather for abusing her and her grandmother for not protecting her. Case settled for a confidential amount.

Child Sexual Abuse and Memory Repression: Lisa Raschke v. Executive Director and Living History Farms

Lisa was a little girl who loved horses. When she was 8 years old, her parents took her to a 19th Century rebuilt farm open to the public for educational purposes. The Executive Director noticed the pretty little girl and offered her the chance to help with the many horses the farm used. Within a few months, the Executive Director began to sexually exploit her and ultimately by the time she was 10, he was raping her every time they were alone. He was a popular and well-known figure and he assured her that no one would believe her if she told. She never did. The abuse ended when she was 12. She grew up and got married. When she was 28, she read a newspaper article abut the Executive Director who had moved to Davenport, became a TV station manager and was charged with statutory rape of three girls. What happened to her 16 years earlier returned to her conscious memory. The first thing she did was tell her husband and her parents. She then called the prosecutor, told him her story and offered her help. The perpetrator eventually pled guilty and was sentenced to prison in part because he knew Lisa was willing to testify. The lawsuit against Living History Farms for negligent hiring and supervision was settled for a confidential amount.