Jerome and Carla Pavlin claimed deputies smashed through the door of their Nunda Township home four years ago to arrest their visiting son and when the parents, then 81 and 66, objected, began beating the husband and slammed his wife against a countertop. Deputies claimed the pair attacked them but State's Attorney Lou Bianchi refused to prosecute the elderly pair.
The Pavlins filed a civil suit against McHenry County and seven deputies involved and a Federal Judge ruled claims of unlawful entry, excessive force and conspiracy could go to trial. The case has been on hold for months while the deputies' attorney appealed the decision. Last Thursday, however, Rockford attorney Stephen Balogh filed a motion to dismiss the appeal because the case had been settled.
Balogh told FEN Thursday attorneys for the Pavlins and for McHenry County asked him to withdraw the appeal so they could end the case. "I am not privy to the (terms of the) settlement," he said, however. Lawyers for the Pavlins and the County did not return phone requests seeking that information Thursday.
McHenry County Sheriff Keith Nygren could not be reached Thursday but Undersheriff Andy Zinke said FEN's inquiry was the first he'd heard about a settlement. Bianchi said his office has been out of the loop in the case since the County's insurance company took over the defense when expenses passed the $100,000 point. Deputy County Administrator John Labaj said that figure was, in effect, the County's insurance deductible at the time that deputies entered the Pavlin home. "We've already paid that," he said.
Federal Court records show no motion filed yet to close out the Pavlin case. Officially, the next development is a telephone status check July 30.
In the pic: Sheriff's Deputies said Jerome and Carla Pavlin's door glass shattered when they tried to shut them out. The Pavlins said Deputies smashed it while crashing in.
3 comments:
Greg Pyle with indictments of 10 counts of sexual criminal assault with a child under the age of 14, is a key figure in this case.
This case was a loser for the sheriff from the get go. Alll of the deputies involved with this should have been terminated. Then this thing with Pyle did not help. Wasted a lot of money on this. They finally had to give in. Would have been very interesting if it did go to trial. There would have been a lot of very interesting testimony.
I'm surprised the Sheriff's Department didn't send out that stupid tank/vehicle, called MARV, to showcase the useless toys they have. I'll think twice befoe I ever call 911 with nuts like this in the Department.
After deputies made the forced, illegal entry into the Pavlin home and roughed up the elderly couple, the Pavlins were afraid that deputies might come back. They moved out-of-state.
Fortunately, they had the money and the backbone to sue Nygren and the McHenry County Sheriff's Dept.
"...Nygren could not be reached, but Undersheriff Andy Zinke said ..." Where is the County's $145,000/year sheriff? Is he on permanent vacation?
Nygren still won't let Zinke issue Media Releases. Nygren's typewritten name is still on them but without any signature or authorizing initials. Who is really issuing the media releases?
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