Portland

Portland City Council Settles Lawsuit Over Withheld Text Messages with $167,000 Payment

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Portland, Oregon – The Portland City Council has agreed to pay almost $167,000 to settle a lawsuit that accused the city and Mayor Ted Wheeler of withholding a large number of text messages from a public records request. The lawsuit followed an investigation that found Wheeler and other city officials regularly violated city policy by using iMessage on their city-issued iPhones. The city’s public records software at the time was unable to access iMessages. The state public records law mandates that government officials preserve all written communication, including text messages and emails, and provide them … Read more

Portland Firefighter Convicted of Kidnapping After Trapping Pot Thief in Cargo Container, Jury Decides

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A firefighter in Portland, Oregon has been found guilty of kidnapping after locking a thief in a cargo container. The jury reached their verdict in the case, which involved a stolen bag of marijuana. The incident occurred when the firefighter, whose identity has not been disclosed, discovered someone trying to steal the marijuana from his truck. In a bid to prevent the thief from getting away, he took matters into his own hands, locking the individual inside a cargo container. During the trial, the firefighter argued that he was acting in self-defense and to protect … Read more

Estranged Wife of Peruvian Soccer Player Awarded $600,000 in Damages in Assault Lawsuit Against Former Portland Timber

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Portland, Oregon – A jury in Multnomah County has awarded Génessis Alarcón, the estranged wife of Peru international midfielder Andy Polo, $600,000 in damages after finding Polo liable for assault and battery against Alarcón. Alarcón’s attorney, Michael Fuller, stated that the jury awarded the maximum amount allowed. However, there may be difficulties in collecting the amount from Polo, especially if he keeps his assets overseas and earns no income in the U.S. Fuller remains determined to collect the damage award on behalf of Alarcón, especially if Polo accompanies Peru’s national team to the U.S. this … Read more

Portland Jury Awards $85 Million to Survivors of Devastating 2020 Oregon Wildfires in PacifiCorp Lawsuit

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OTIS, Oregon – A Portland jury has awarded nine survivors of Oregon’s 2020 Labor Day fires a total of $85 million in the latest court case against utility company PacifiCorp. The trial, which lasted a little over two weeks, marked the first in a series to determine compensation for approximately 5,000 fire victims affected by four major wildfires that destroyed numerous homes and caused extensive damage. PacifiCorp has raised objections to the final amount, stating that they estimated it would be closer to $79 million following the judge’s ruling on post-trial motions. In a previous … Read more