Latest news with #JCPD
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Judge sets phone hearing on settlement in JCPD sex assault investigations case
Note: This article includes attached video showing News Channel 11's Jeff Keeling and Anslee Daniel's discussion of the Johnson City lawsuit settlement. An audio version is at the end of this story. JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — A federal judge won't rule on a proposed $4.2 million settlement between Johnson City and women who reported sexual assaults to its police department from 2018-2022 until after a telephone hearing June 24. U.S. District Judge Travis McDonough made the ruling Thursday, 10 days after plaintiffs' attorneys filed their motion for approval of the class action settlement. Johnson City and the plaintiffs' attorneys have already agreed to an overall settlement amount of $28 million. The bulk of that money will go to the original plaintiffs, nine women who said they were victimized by now-convicted sex offender Sean Williams and that the Johnson City Police Department (JCPD) didn't adequately investigate the downtown resident. That settlement doesn't require the judge's approval, but the $4.2 million one does. It relates to an added element to the original lawsuit that came following release of the 'Daigle Report' — an audit of JCPD's sexual assault investigations the city commissioned in 2022 after a completely separate lawsuit related to Sean Williams was filed. That report found that while a number of JCPD's investigations between 2018 and 2022 were adequate, the department had a number of 'certain investigative practices' that 'could negatively affect the quality and efficiency of their response to sexual assault cases.' JC's new 'transparency' webpage covers police lawsuits related to Sean Williams Daigle noted a common theme running through many of these weaknesses: 'JCPD's response to sexual assault was challenged based on gender-based stereotypes and bias.' The report, and the addition of a plaintiff whose reported assault did not involve Sean Williams, led to the filing of a class action that's now the subject of the settlement proposal. Johnson City has consistently denied all allegations in the lawsuits related to Williams and JCPD sexual assault investigations. The city also says JCPD has implemented the recommendations in Daigle's report and is following a new sexual assault protocol devised by First District Attorney General Steve Finney's office — an assertion Finney has confirmed. The class settlement would include both monetary relief — attorneys estimate about $7,000 to more than 350 people — and something called 'equitable relief.' Equitable relief would come in the form of plaintiffs' attorneys being provided audits of sexual assault investigations by JCPD every quarter for two years so they could review how well JCPD is complying with a new sexual crimes protocol it adopted in late 2023. The motion for settlement approval is complex, and McDonough wrote Thursday, 'a telephonic hearing will aid in the resolution of Plaintiffs' pending motion for preliminary approval.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Johnson City police investigating fatal Thursday crash
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Johnson City Police Department (JCPD) is investigating after one person was killed in a crash at an intersection on Thursday. According to the JCPD, officers were called to the intersection of North Roan Street and Spurgeon Island Road shortly after 5 p.m. Ribbon cut on rebuilt Kinser Bridge in Greene County The JCPD reports a red GMC Sierra pickup truck had run off the road and hit a utility pole at the intersection. The driver, who was the only person in the truck, was identified as Michael L. Myers, 59, of Johnson City. Myers died at the scene, according to police. As of Friday morning, the JCPD Crash Reconstruction Team is still investigating the crash. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
JCPD lawsuit settlement includes outside oversight of new sexual assault investigations
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — More than 300 women and girls who reported sexual assaults to Johnson City police from 2018-2022 will get about $7,000 each from a class action settlement that's part of a broader federal civil suit against the city. OUR FULL SEAN WILLIAMS COVERAGE The proposed $4.2 million settlement also includes 'equitable relief' that lets plaintiffs' attorneys audit at least 15 Johnson City Police Department (JCPD) sexual assault investigations every quarter for two years. Law enforcement analyst Eric Stanton said the additional element could be an important early step in the JCPD's efforts to regain community trust after a period marked by allegations of a serial rapist committing crimes in Johnson City with impunity. 'This is not home cookin,'' Stanton said of the equitable relief proposal. 'This is not bringing in your own people to do your own investigation, stuff of that nature. That's when people start having a lot of questions. So having an outside entity that obviously supports the victims … they're gonna make sure that everything is on the up and up.' The class settlement, if approved, leaves just under $24 million for the nine original plaintiffs (and possibly others) in a case initially centered around suspected serial rapist and downtown Johnson City resident Sean Williams. The City of Johnson City reached separate settlement individual agreements with those plaintiffs. Those aren't subject to judicial approval in that portion of the case, which included claims that Williams got away with multiple rapes due to police bias against women, corruption or both. A city spokesperson confirmed that the total amount the city's paying out is $28 million, only $1 million of which is covered by municipal liability insurance. The entire class settlement agreement requires approval from U.S. District Judge Travis McDonough. The $4.2 million includes a requested $1.4 million for attorney fees and $135,000 in other costs aside from payment to class members. The city denies any wrongdoing in the settled case, which is being dismissed with prejudice as part of the settlement, meaning it can't be brought back to court. The class settlement leans heavily on the so-called 'Daigle Report,' a police expert's audit of five years' worth of JCPD sexual assault investigations. Johnson City commissioners solicited that report in August 2022, two months after a separate, and still pending, lawsuit related to JCPD and Williams was filed by a former federal prosecutor. Stanton called the settlement proposal 'a good thing' for the city, the JCPD and victims. He pointed back to Daigle's audit and its finding of 'shortcomings' that resulted in eight recommendations for changes. 'It allows now, as we go forward, hopefully prevents a tragic event like Sean Williams from ever happening again,' he said. Eric Daigle and the Daigle Law Group found that JCPD engaged in an unconstitutional pattern and practice in its sexual assault investigations from 2018-2022, and JCPD is implementing changed policies and procedures as a result. The audit came in the wake of former federal prosecutor Kat Dahl's June 2022 federal lawsuit claiming her job assisting JCPD was terminated in retaliation after she pressed JCPD leaders to investigate Williams over sexual assault allegations. The report, released publicly in July 2023, noted, among other findings, that JCPD had a number of 'certain investigative practices' that 'could negatively affect the quality and efficiency of their response to sexual assault cases.' Daigle noted a common theme running through many of these weaknesses: 'JCPD's response to sexual assault was challenged based on gender-based stereotypes and bias.' Daigle recommended a slate of changes, including the immediate adoption of a sexual assault response protocol developed by First Judicial District Attorney General Steve Finney shortly after he took office in the fall of 2022. 'It's cost the taxpayers a lot of money in the City of Johnson City, upwards of $350 per person in the city,' Stanton said. 'That's a lot of money, and so at the end of the day, obviously we want to make sure as government officials that we're doing business correctly, transparently and that we're protecting and serving everybody equally.' The class settlement would accomplish something the City of Johnson City so far hasn't, despite a suggestion from Daigle that they do: an external check, spanning two years, on how they're doing implementing the changes Daigle recommended. In addition to monetary relief, it spells out 'equitable relief in the form of improved procedures and a mechanism for oversight,' according to plaintiffs' attorney Julie Erickson's declaration in support of the motion to approve the settlement. The proposed agreement notes that JCPD 'will continue to implement' its Sexual Oriented Crimes general order, 'or other amended or new General Order(s) that are consistent with the requirements of the United States Constitution.' 'The audits will serve as the basis for Class Counsel's monitoring of Defendant's compliance with the constitutional policing standards set forth in the SOCGO,' it adds. That compliance will come under the scrutiny of the very people who sued, and the proposal calls for that equitable relief to have some teeth to it. If the attorneys see any evidence that JCPD isn't complying, they will first inform Johnson City's attorneys in the case and 'make all reasonable attempts to resolve the issue prior to Class Counsel seeking relief from the Court.' Stanton said the still-unfinished Williams saga — he was arrested in North Carolina in 2023 and found with incriminating evidence related to sexual assaults in Johnson City and is partway through various criminal trials — has had a major impact on the city that money alone can't rectify. 'These victims have already been victimized, and unfortunately, you and I cannot take that back, but this could hopefully keep future individuals from being victimized,' Stanton said. He added that he believes the current JCPD leadership is committed to Constitutional policing — something the city denies it failed to do in the settlement language. Stanton said $28 million is a high price to pay for being able to make those kinds of claims. Plaintiffs also admit that winning their cases could have proven difficult and definitely would have been time-consuming, traumatic for plaintiffs and expensive regardless of the outcome. 'The piece of the pie that you and I will never get is what was in that discovery,' he said, referring to trial documents and deposition testimony. 'What was in there that caused the city and its attorneys to say, 'hey, we better settle this thing before we go to court because it's going to cost us a lot more than $28 million. But we also know there was no criminality (on the part of police) found so far in investigations.' Stanton said it could take 'decades' for trust to come back fully, and that transparency and 'every day going in and doing the right thing' are the keys to that. 'The damage is done. Lives have been affected. People will never be the same again. But at the end of the day, where do we go from here? And we've got to fix these things, and this is a good first step. But that's just one step of many that's going to have to take place for the people of Johnson City and the citizens to have 100 percent trust in the police department and in the city.' The two-year period would begin following McDonough's final approval of the settlement, which should happen before the end of the year. Class members, estimated to number around 375, will be informed of the settlement, and those who don't opt out will receive checks. A website will also be set up. If a significant amount of awards go unclaimed, class members who did cash their checks could get another round of funds. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
JCPD hosting Community Meeting
(WIVT/WBGH) – The Johnson City Police Department is looking to strengthen its relationship with the community with an upcoming presentation. Community Engagement Officer Jay Peets is hosting the police department's annual Community Meeting on May 21 at 6 p.m. in the Johnson City Police Department training room. Peets will present a PowerPoint about the police department. Following the presentation, the floor will be open to all community members who wish to ask questions and voice concerns. The Johnson City Police Department is located at 31 Avenue C in Johnson City. What is the most popular baby name in New York for 2024? JCPD hosting Community Meeting Goodwill Theatre awarded nearly $5 million to restore 1899 Firehouse Sunny today, frosty tonight Stenger's final graduation weekend at Binghamton University Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
JC's new ‘transparency' webpage covers police lawsuits related to Sean Williams
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Johnson City's municipal webpage now features a 'transparency' page related to the Johnson City Police Department (JCPD) and its handling of alleged serial rapist Sean Williams — a page that acknowledges up front 'the deficiencies of some police investigations.' The page includes 'frequently asked questions' (FAQs) as well as 'an open letter' signed by the five city commissioners and a message from JCPD Chief Billy Church. One FAQ, 'Who has been held accountable,' acknowledges 'the community's deep frustration and disappointment over what has occurred' and 'the real harm and deterioration of trust, which we are working diligently to strengthen.' Nolichucky raft guides likely to lose 2025 season in Gorge The rollout comes three months after the Johnson City Commission approved a $28 million settlement in a federal civil lawsuit filed by alleged victims of Williams. The former downtown resident was never charged with any sex-related crimes by JCPD but is now suspected of drugging and raping more than 60 women in his downtown apartment based on videos and still images he allegedly produced and possessed. Attorney breaks down $28M Jane Doe settlement related to JCPD 'Once we hit the settlement, this gave us an opportunity to kind of put everything that we can say at this point in time in one location, so that people can have questions answered related to the settlement and ongoing litigation,' Mayor John Hunter told News Channel 11 Tuesday. The new page drew a mixed reaction from the leader of a group that's been pressing for town halls on the issue since city commissioners approved a $28 million settlement with plaintiffs in one of three federal civil suits against the city. 'It's a good step, but it kind of feels like, we're trying to push them to talk to us more and they do a little bit but they don't come all the way,' Victoria Hewlett said of the city commission specifically. 'They lean on (City Manager) Cathy Ball a lot, the elected officials do.' Extra 2 weeks sought to finalize $28M Johnson City lawsuit settlement The webpage notes, and Hunter and fellow commissioner Jenny Brock both stressed, that with two active federal civil lawsuits remaining the city is still limited in what it can and can't post to the page. 'We encourage everybody to read this website and the information listed in it because it's telling what we can tell,' Hunter said. 'There were shortcomings in our police department that have been addressed.' But a webpage, no matter how thorough and detailed, is a static instrument and not an in-person give and take. Hewlett's group has had one meeting with city officials and had a couple more postponed, and she said they'll keep pressing for a town hall-style meeting. 'When you sign up to be a leader like that you've got to take accountability when things happen,' she said. 'You know, it's not comfortable, but it looks even worse frankly if they're not gonna be willing to come up and dialogue with people.' Brock and Hunter both said that time will come, but it may have to wait until the other two federal lawsuits conclude. DA: JCPD lawsuit helped spur new sexual assault protocol 'We look back at a class action lawsuit, which is nothing that we've ever dealt with before, it's very complex,' Brock said. 'There are many tentacles to it, many people to it and so that's what has made it so hard to be able to talk as we wish we could talk. 'We're kind of dancing between the lines now because we've got the one settlement, but now we've got two other suits. I think the way will become clear when we get a little bit further along the line, and we really want to encourage people, go check out the website. I know that's kind of a throwback here, but the documents that they need to see are there.' Hunter said the city's lawyers are advising against an open forum. The city did have a 'listening session' during which citizens had up to three minutes to speak on the subject, but there was no back and forth. 'I feel like we're setting people up for frustration if they're coming to a town hall expecting to ask questions that they may not be able to get answers to at this time,' he said. The page stresses the city's claim that all allegations of JCPD officer corruption in the Williams case are false — claims the plaintiffs who settled made, but ones that so far have been debunked or at least not proven. But Hewlett said the nature of Williams's crimes, the allegations themselves and the fact that police appear not to have aggressively followed up on complaints against him leave the community needing more than just answers on a webpage. 'The community has been hurt by this, and there's been steps taken by the police department, but one thing I'd love to see is another investigation to see what the results of those steps have been,' Hewlett said. 'But for people to feel like their police department, their local government, the people that are supposed to be in charge and are supposed to be there for the public good, are turning a blind eye to something like this — women and children getting hurt, a girl died, you know?' 'It's so so painful and it makes you not trust your government, which is not a healthy thing for our local civics. There's a lot of gravity here … I don't know all the details about what all of this stuff is, I'm just one person, but people sense corruption.' 'They don't trust their government right now, and I think there's things that we can do to try to improve that. There's just been an erosion of trust that needs to be addressed.' WATCH: Johnson City citizens voice concerns about Jane Doe lawsuit settlement Hunter said the city plans on meeting with Hewlett's group again. Brock said she's having individual conversations with community members she runs into around town and that she sees the importance of something more than one-way listening sessions or a webpage. 'They want to ask questions that we can't talk about and so it's just frustrating for them and they think we're hiding something in that,' she said. 'So at this point in time, in a controlled environment that we can get out there and have the dialogue that is most healthy, we just need to figure out how to do it.' Brock added that her belief is that weaknesses found in an independent audit of the department's handling of sexual assault cases, commissioned after the first Williams-related lawsuit, showed deficiencies that could allow a situation like Williams's to develop without corruption being present. That 'Daigle Report' found that the JCPD had a number of 'certain investigative practices' that 'could negatively affect the quality and efficiency of their response to sexual assault cases.' Daigle noted a common theme running through many of these weaknesses: 'JCPD's response to sexual assault was challenged based on gender-based stereotypes and bias.' 'It's really important at this point in time to recognize what those weaknesses were,' Brock said. 'And again, the Daigle report was framed around constitutional policing, so there was a framework for him to study what was going on in the police department. But we've got to look forward now, and the changes that have been made are profound.' 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