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, have reached an out-of-court settlement in their wrongful death lawsuit with the parents of the other boy.

The terms of the settlement were confidential, but the attorney for the parents of Greg Harris Jr. said it involved a small financial payment.

``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 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, 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.

Reddock said Harris is at a CYA 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 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

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