Chicago DUI lawyer provides an update on the DUI jail beating

This Chicago DUI lawyer posted here about the DUI suspect being beaten in her jail cell by the police. Now comes news that the local government has settled a civil suit brought by the woman.

October 29, Pekin, IL

The Tazewell County Board Wednesday night approved both a $175,000 settlement with a former jail inmate and the creation of a Human Resources Director position.

After a discussion in closed session, the board approved a settlement agreement with Becky Behm, who sued the county after she was arrested on Oct. 17, 2008, on suspicion of drunken driving and was allegedly beaten while incarcerated at the Tazewell County Justice Center.

The corrections officers involved in the incident, Jeffrey Bieber and Justin Piro, were accused of using unnecessary force and brought before the Tazewell County Sheriff’s Merit Commission.

n July 2009, the merit commission found all three officers innocent of any wrongdoing and reinstated them to work with back pay. Sheriff Robert Huston immediately appealed the decision, calling it “erroneous” and releasing a video surveillance recording that shows Behm being punched in the face, swung headfirst into a concrete wall and sprayed with pepper spray, all while in solitary confinement.

Somehow, I think the board knew that this settlement was "chump change" versus letting a jury make a decision after viewing the video of the officer's treatment of the DUI suspect.