Wrongful Death lawsuit against Detroit
Filed by Deborah Ryan [Mother of Officer Patricia Ryan Williams]
RE: OIDV murder of Officer Patricia [Katie] Ryan Williams
September 25, 2013
http://www.kccllc.net/detroit/document/1353846130925000000000011
Detroit bankruptcy proceedings head back to federal court
Posted: 10/02/2013
WXYZ News
Posted: 10/02/2013
WXYZ News
October 02, 2013
http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/detroit-bankruptcy-proceedings-head-back-to-federal-court
http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/detroit-bankruptcy-proceedings-head-back-to-federal-court
DETROIT (WXYZ) - Detroit Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes is hearing 3 cases today that are seeking to have the automatic stay lifted on other cases pending with the City of Detroit.
The first one is a suit by Deborah Ann Ryan against Detroit, the Police Department and some officers who did not prevent the murder of her daughter, Patricia Williams, on September 22, 2009 by her husband, Detroit Police Officer Edward Williams, who then committed suicide.
Ryan's case is on hold, as are some 700 other individual cases in Detroit.
Also, another case seeks permission from Judge Rhodes to allow an Administrative Law Judge to rule on whether the General Retirement System can resume issuing a 13th check to retirees that was banned by the City Council in 2011. An attorney for the city argues Detroit employee pension underfunding is a critical issue in bankruptcy and the 13th check was an unsound practice that cost the pension fund $1.9 billion dollars.
Heather Lennox from Jones Day argues the bankruptcy court should decide this issue and that the issue is far-reaching for the city.
Another item in front of Judge Rhodes is whether a constitutional challenge to the Emergency Manager and Michigan Public Act 436 can proceed before another judge in Federal Court. It was filed by the NAACP and a group of individuals. That case was also automatically stayed by the bankruptcy filing.
Wrongful Death lawsuit against Detroit
Filed by Deborah Ryan [Mother of Officer Patricia Ryan Williams]
RE: OIDV murder of Officer Patricia [Katie] Ryan Williams
October 08, 2013
http://www.detroitmi.gov/Portals/0/docs/cityclerk/calendar_2013/Agenda/Agenda%2010-08-13.pdf
Wrongful Death lawsuit against Detroit
Filed by Deborah Ryan [Mother of Officer Patricia Ryan Williams]
RE: OIDV murder of Officer Patricia [Katie] Ryan Williams
October 09, 2013
http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/michigan/miedce/4:2011cv10900/256616/120/0.pdf?1381404590
Filed by Deborah Ryan [Mother of Officer Patricia Ryan Williams]
RE: OIDV murder of Officer Patricia [Katie] Ryan Williams
October 09, 2013
http://docs.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/michigan/miedce/4:2011cv10900/256616/120/0.pdf?1381404590
Wrongful-death lawsuit may proceed, despite Detroit bankruptcy
Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
January 27, 2014
http://www.freep.com/article/20140127/NEWS01/301270106/Detroit-bankruptcy-lawsuit-police
Bankrupt or not, the city of Detroit has agreed to let a mother proceed with a lawsuit against the Detroit Police Department over the 2009 shooting death of her daughter, a police officer who was killed in a murder-suicide by her husband.
All lawsuits against the city — more than 500 — have been put on hold because of the bankruptcy. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes still has to agree to let the case proceed.
Plaintiff Deborah Ryan of Canton wants the stay order lifted. Both sides have agreed to let the case proceed and are waiting approval from Rhodes.
Ryan’s lawsuit alleges the Police Department failed to protect her daughter from an unstable husband. Her daughter, Patricia (Katie) Williams, was a Detroit police officer who was shot and killed in September 2009 in a murder-suicide by her husband, who also was a police officer in the Detroit homicide unit.
Ryan’s suit alleges the department went out of its way to protect the husband when it could have taken steps to prevent the shooting. Ryan said she’s relieved her case may finally get to a jury.
“It’s been four years and my family — especially my grandson — we need to have closure. And we want to make sure that people who we feel caused this to occur, including the city, is held accountable for their actions,” Ryan said. “It’s the first kind of good news we’ve had in years.”
Ryan’s lawyer, Bill Goodman, said the lawsuit also challenges what he believes is a pervasive problem in the DPD: officers abusing women, and nothing being done about it.
“That point has to be driven home and the only way to drive it home is to have a jury … tell the DPD what it can get away with and what it can’t get away with,” Goodman said. “Its handling of Katie’s case was unacceptable ... (Police) would not step up to the plate and see that this guy got arrested before he did serious harm to his wife and himself. It was clear that he was a basket case and no one wanted to get involved in the problem.”
According to the lawsuit, the department canceled an alert that was issued to law enforcement about the husband’s mental status and concerns that he was a threat to her daughter.
Detroit police found the husband to be competent and canceled the alert, so he was never picked up by the authorities, the lawsuit states. About 30 hours after the alert was called off, the husband shot and killed his wife and himself in a parking lot.
In court documents, the city has denied any wrongdoing.
The city also denied showing favoritism to the husband, stating “there is no evidence” that he was treated differently “because he was a police officer. In fact, the argument is counterintuitive, given Patricia (Katie) Williams was also a Detroit police officer.”
http://www.freep.com/article/20140127/NEWS01/301270106/Detroit-bankruptcy-lawsuit-police
Bankrupt or not, the city of Detroit has agreed to let a mother proceed with a lawsuit against the Detroit Police Department over the 2009 shooting death of her daughter, a police officer who was killed in a murder-suicide by her husband.
All lawsuits against the city — more than 500 — have been put on hold because of the bankruptcy. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes still has to agree to let the case proceed.
Plaintiff Deborah Ryan of Canton wants the stay order lifted. Both sides have agreed to let the case proceed and are waiting approval from Rhodes.
Ryan’s lawsuit alleges the Police Department failed to protect her daughter from an unstable husband. Her daughter, Patricia (Katie) Williams, was a Detroit police officer who was shot and killed in September 2009 in a murder-suicide by her husband, who also was a police officer in the Detroit homicide unit.
Ryan’s suit alleges the department went out of its way to protect the husband when it could have taken steps to prevent the shooting. Ryan said she’s relieved her case may finally get to a jury.
“It’s been four years and my family — especially my grandson — we need to have closure. And we want to make sure that people who we feel caused this to occur, including the city, is held accountable for their actions,” Ryan said. “It’s the first kind of good news we’ve had in years.”
Ryan’s lawyer, Bill Goodman, said the lawsuit also challenges what he believes is a pervasive problem in the DPD: officers abusing women, and nothing being done about it.
“That point has to be driven home and the only way to drive it home is to have a jury … tell the DPD what it can get away with and what it can’t get away with,” Goodman said. “Its handling of Katie’s case was unacceptable ... (Police) would not step up to the plate and see that this guy got arrested before he did serious harm to his wife and himself. It was clear that he was a basket case and no one wanted to get involved in the problem.”
According to the lawsuit, the department canceled an alert that was issued to law enforcement about the husband’s mental status and concerns that he was a threat to her daughter.
Detroit police found the husband to be competent and canceled the alert, so he was never picked up by the authorities, the lawsuit states. About 30 hours after the alert was called off, the husband shot and killed his wife and himself in a parking lot.
In court documents, the city has denied any wrongdoing.
The city also denied showing favoritism to the husband, stating “there is no evidence” that he was treated differently “because he was a police officer. In fact, the argument is counterintuitive, given Patricia (Katie) Williams was also a Detroit police officer.”
Bankruptcy judge allows case involving Detroit officer's killing to proceed
Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
January 30, 2014
http://www.freep.com/article/20140130/NEWS01/301300028/Lawsuit-proceeds-Detroit-bankruptcy
A federal bankruptcy judge has given a grieving mother the green light to proceed with her lawsuit against the City of Detroit over her daughter’s death, making her the first such plaintiff to successfully challenge a stay order that has frozen more than 500 lawsuits because of the bankruptcy.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes lifted the stay order — with conditions — on Tuesday for Deborah Ryan of Canton, who is suing the Detroit Police Department over the 2009 shooting death of her daughter, a police officer. Ryan’s lawsuit alleges the police department failed to protect her daughter from an unstable husband. Her daughter, Patricia (Katie) Williams, was a Detroit police officer who was shot and killed in September 2009 in a murder-suicide by her husband, who also was a police officer in the Detroit homicide unit.
Rhodes agreed to let Ryan’s lawsuit proceed after both sides in the case hashed out an agreement to let the case move forward. In his order, Rhodes wrote that relief from the stay “is granted solely to the extent necessary to allow the lawsuit to proceed to a final non-appealable judgment.”
Under Rhodes’ order, if Ryan wins any potential judgment from the city, that judgment is subject to treatment under any Chapter 9 plan of adjustment.
Ryan said she was grateful to Rhodes for letting her case proceed and relieved that it may finally get to a jury.
“It’s been four years and my family — especially my grandson — we need to have closure,” Ryan said.
Added her lawyer, Bill Goodman: “It’s helpful that the judge has lifted the stay so that Mrs. Ryan can appropriately and adequately enforce her constitutional rights in federal court.”
Ryan’s suit alleges the department went out of its way to protect the husband when it could have taken steps to prevent the shooting. According to the lawsuit, the department canceled an alert that was issued to law enforcement about the husband’s mental status and concerns that he was a threat to her daughter.
Detroit police found the husband to be competent and canceled the alert, so he was never picked up by the authorities, the lawsuit states. About 30 hours after the alert was called off, the husband shot and killed his wife and himself in a parking lot.
In court documents, the city has denied any wrongdoing.
http://www.freep.com/article/20140130/NEWS01/301300028/Lawsuit-proceeds-Detroit-bankruptcy
A federal bankruptcy judge has given a grieving mother the green light to proceed with her lawsuit against the City of Detroit over her daughter’s death, making her the first such plaintiff to successfully challenge a stay order that has frozen more than 500 lawsuits because of the bankruptcy.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes lifted the stay order — with conditions — on Tuesday for Deborah Ryan of Canton, who is suing the Detroit Police Department over the 2009 shooting death of her daughter, a police officer. Ryan’s lawsuit alleges the police department failed to protect her daughter from an unstable husband. Her daughter, Patricia (Katie) Williams, was a Detroit police officer who was shot and killed in September 2009 in a murder-suicide by her husband, who also was a police officer in the Detroit homicide unit.
Rhodes agreed to let Ryan’s lawsuit proceed after both sides in the case hashed out an agreement to let the case move forward. In his order, Rhodes wrote that relief from the stay “is granted solely to the extent necessary to allow the lawsuit to proceed to a final non-appealable judgment.”
Under Rhodes’ order, if Ryan wins any potential judgment from the city, that judgment is subject to treatment under any Chapter 9 plan of adjustment.
Ryan said she was grateful to Rhodes for letting her case proceed and relieved that it may finally get to a jury.
“It’s been four years and my family — especially my grandson — we need to have closure,” Ryan said.
Added her lawyer, Bill Goodman: “It’s helpful that the judge has lifted the stay so that Mrs. Ryan can appropriately and adequately enforce her constitutional rights in federal court.”
Ryan’s suit alleges the department went out of its way to protect the husband when it could have taken steps to prevent the shooting. According to the lawsuit, the department canceled an alert that was issued to law enforcement about the husband’s mental status and concerns that he was a threat to her daughter.
Detroit police found the husband to be competent and canceled the alert, so he was never picked up by the authorities, the lawsuit states. About 30 hours after the alert was called off, the husband shot and killed his wife and himself in a parking lot.
In court documents, the city has denied any wrongdoing.
MLive
January 30, 2014
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2014/01/lawsuit_over_slain_detroit_pol.html
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/index.ssf/2014/01/lawsuit_over_slain_detroit_pol.html
DETROIT, MI -- U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Steven Rhodes will allow a lawsuit over the 2009 death of a Detroit police officer to proceed, according to court documents filed this week.
Hundreds of lawsuits against the city were put on hold in July 2013 when Emergency Manger Kevyn Orr took the Detroit into bankruptcy, citing $18 billion in debt.
Deborah Ryan, who sued the city in 2011 over the death of her daughter Patricia "Katie" Williams, asked Rhodes in September to lift the automatic stay of her case.
He granted that request Tuesday, "solely to the extent necessary to allow the Lawsuit to proceed to a final nonappealable judgment."
Williams was a Detroit police officer killed by her husband Edward Williams, also a Detroit cop, in Canton Township in 2009.
She sued Detroit, two Detroit police supervisors, Canton Township and two Canton police officers, claiming they failed to fully address signs including a suicide note that indicated her daughter's husband was unstable and dangerous.
Edward Williams shot and killed Katie Williams on Sept. 22, 2009 in a parking lot between the Canton Township library and police station before turning the gun on himself.
The couple left behind a 9-year-old son.
The lawsuit cites the Civil Rights Act, claiming authorities would have acted differently had the Williams not been police officers.
Both the city and the township denied liability and filed motions for summary judgment.
The last hearing in the case was held in federal court on July 18, 2013, the same day Detroit filed for bankruptcy protection.
Any judgement against the city in the case will be subject to cuts determined by a final plan of adjustment in the bankruptcy case, Rhodes noted.
Orr plans to submit to Rhodes a proposed plan for restructuring the city's debt next month.
