ELKHORN-Walworth County has settled a federal personal injury lawsuit brought by an independent journalist from Colorado who claimed two deputies violated her civil rights and injured her during an arrest in the courthouse in 2003.
Suzanne Shell of El Paso County, Colo., filed the lawsuit in June 2005. As part of the agreement, neither Shell nor her attorney can comment.
Michael Cotter, Walworth County assistant corporation counsel, said the county's insurance paid Shell $45,000 with no claim of liability or wrongdoing by the county.
A federal magistrate from the U.S. District Court in Milwaukee arranged the settlement, Cotter said. Settlement documents were signed earlier this month, he said.
In her complaint against the county, Shell claimed she had permission to shoot film in the courthouse for a documentary about a child abuse case when two deputies, Sgt. Tom Hausner and Deputy Thomas Jones, stopped her.
One deputy demanded she surrender her videotape or leave. Shell said she agreed to leave but asked one of the deputies for his name.
One deputy then arrested her while the other took the camera, the complaint said.
Shell claimed she was handled roughly and injured in the arrest.
Attorneys for the deputies said Shell's allegations were false or exaggerated.
Shell was charged with disorderly conduct, but the charge was dropped in November 2004.
