Lawrence S. Huffman: Plan Your Injuries Carefully

In previous columns, I have shared some experiences in situations confronting me other than courtroom trials of indicted defendants. As I have told you, the prosecuting attorney represents all county officers and their deputies in civil actions (ones where the person seeks money damages) brought against them for actions taken “in the course and scope of their official duties.” Thus, I was called upon to defend the county sheriff and one of his deputies in a civil action brought by one Ronnie Marbury who claimed in the suit that he had been shot in the knee by a sheriff’s deputy while the deputy was in “the course and scope of his duties.” Those are magic words legally and mean that if one of your employees negligently hurts someone while working for you, both the employee and employer are liable for the damages. The facts as I found them to be were that Ronnie was operating a “secondhand store” at South Main and Kibby streets.