SETTLEMENT REACHED IN BASEBALL DEATH PARENTS OF SLAIN TEENAGER HAD FILED LAWSUIT.Byline: KAREN MAESHIRO Staff Writer PALMDALE -- The parents of Jeremy Rourke, the 15-year-old killed when another boy hit him in the head with a baseball bat after a youth baseball game Noun 1. baseball game - a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs; "he played baseball in high school"; "there was a baseball game on every empty lot"; "there was a desire for National League , have reached an out-of-court settlement An agreement reached between the parties in a pending lawsuit that resolves the dispute to their mutual satisfaction and occurs without judicial intervention, supervision, or approval. in their wrongful death The taking of the life of an individual resulting from the willful or negligent act of another person or persons. If a person is killed because of the wrongful conduct of a person or persons, the decedent's heirs and other beneficiaries may file a wrongful death action lawsuit with the parents of the other boy. The terms of the settlement were confidential, but the attorney for the parents of Greg Harris Greg Harris is a common name that can refer to different people:
``The Harrises are not a family of substantial financial means. The basis for the settlement was not financial. It was based on principle,'' said Angela Reddock, attorney for the Harris family. The settlement leaves the Palmdale PONY League The Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York League, also known as the PONY League, was a Class D minor league baseball circuit that played from 1939 through 1956. The forerunner of the modern Class A New York - Penn League, the PONY served as the first professional baseball address of as the sole remaining defendant in the wrongful death action filed by Brian and Angela Rourke. The Rourkes initially sued the city of Palmdale and the Antelope Valley Union High School District The Antelope Valley Union High School District (A.V.U.H.S.D.) is located in the Antelope Valley area of California, in northern Los Angeles County. The district includes eight public high schools, one trade school, and two continuation high schools in the cities of Palmdale , too, but they have since been dismissed from the case. ``(The other defendants) provided us with information that they were not involved in the control of the fields in relation to this incident. We let them out of the case because they had no legal responsibility,'' said Andrew Bryman, the Rourkes' attorney. The PONY League attorney said his client bears no liability in the case. ``The entire Palmdale PONY community continues to express its condolences to both the Rourke and Harris families. However, Palmdale PONY has absolutely no liability for this unforeseen and shocking criminal act,'' attorney Philip Weiss said. Harris, 14, was sentenced in July 2005 to confinement in the California Youth Authority until he is 25 after being convicted of second-degree murder in Juvenile Court juvenile court Special court handling problems of delinquent, neglected, or abused children. Two types of cases are processed by a juvenile court: civil matters, often concerning care of an abandoned or impoverished child, and criminal matters, arising from antisocial . Reddock said Harris is at a CYA CYA Cover your ass. See Defensive medicine. facility in Stockton. His parents, Gigi and Greg Sr., have moved to the Sacramento area to be closer to their son, Reddock said. ``He's doing as well as can be expected. CYA is a tough place, and he's a good kid,'' Reddock said. Harris is a group leader in his dormitory, which means he is responsible for making sure the dormitory is clean and motivating other wards to comply with rules and regulations, Reddock said. Harris also is doing well academically. The younger boy struck Jeremy in the knee, then seconds later hit him in the head with an aluminum bat on April 12, 2005, near the Palmdale PONY League baseball field. Jeremy had teased the boy about losing a game and pushed him, witnesses said. Jeremy died about two hours later at a hospital. Attorneys for Harris have appealed his conviction. Brian Rourke has formed a foundation aimed at preventing violence in youth sports. Reddock said the appeal is making its way through the appellate court A court having jurisdiction to review decisions of a trial-level or other lower court. An unsuccessful party in a lawsuit must file an appeal with an appellate court in order to have the decision reviewed. process. ``We hope the court will see the sentence was unjust. This was an accident, an unfortunate accident between two young boys,'' Reddock said. ``The Harris' hearts continue to go out to the Rourkes. They regret the incident resulted in the death of their son. They are hopeful that once all the legal action is over that both families can find peace and resolution,'' Reddock said. karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com (661) 267-5744 |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion