I'm Darrin Mish. For 32 years I've practiced federal tax litigation — routine audits, Tax Court cases, and everything in between. If you're facing an IRS issue, here's what you need to know first.
A number of court settlements have been awarded to individuals in over 28 cases who were victimized by the Pittsburgh Police Department. The the total amount of the settlements to the victims is about $5 million. Taxes in Pittsburgh are expected to increase in order to pay for the settlements.
In the first case, police pulled a victim out of the car and whipped him with a pistol. The dash cam shows police officers beating him while he was subdued on the ground. The victim, Paul Parrish, was awarded $40,000 in an excessive force lawsuit.
In another case, a victim was asked to leave a bar by security. The victim said that he had done nothing wrong and challenged the request. An off duty police officer who was working at the bar punched the victim in the face breaking three bones. The victim required surgery after the encounter. Taylor Condacure as awarded $75,000 in a settlement; the officer was found not guilty of aggravated assault, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass.
In yet another case, the victim was accused by the police of raping another individual. After an investigation, the victim was sentenced to jail. Decades later, DNA evidence proved that the victim, Thomas Doswell, had not committed the crime of which he was convicted. He was freed from prison and paid $3.7 million in damages.
Mayor Bill Peduto has begun reform programs which have increased training as well as the standards of conduct for police officers. However, it is difficult to tell at this time if the reforms will have any positive effects in the community.
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