Superior, they said, never gives up her dead when the gales of November come early, but apparently it does give up its life preservers when the police misconduct settlements of October come on time.
Half a century on from the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the legend has managed to get just a little weirder, but this time in the form of a litigation settlement that has exactly nothing to do with the ship. The state is paying $600,000 to settle claims brought by Larry Orr, who sued alleging violations of his rights as part of a discredited sexual abuse allegation.
But even more surprising than law enforcement failing to hide behind qualified immunity, is the guest starring role of a life preserver from the famous vessel that washed ashore. Orr owned one of the orange rings and had entertained some plans to auction it as part of the 50th anniversary remembrance of the disaster. Instead, as part of the deal, Orr is getting $600,000 from the state and handing over the ring.
Why would the beneficiary of the settlement hand over anything? That’s a great question!
According to Orr’s lawyer, the police officer’s attorney knew that Orr owned the artifact and randomly raised the prospect of throwing it into the deal. “Are we at a mediation for a wrongful prosecution or an estate sale?” Smith said she wondered in the AP article. But these misgivings weren’t enough to keep the deal from getting done.
Though maybe they should have.
Given that the life ring is worth roughly $300,000, its inclusion in the deal certainly makes this feel like a $300,000 settlement with Orr along with a $300,000 payment for a piece of personal property disguised as a settlement of claims. Since litigation settlements would enjoy tax benefits, this maritime deal seems very… fishy.
Hence the state’s spokesperson, upon learning about the deal, expressed healthy skepticism:
The Associated Press reached out to the state police this week to try to learn why it wanted the life ring and who had authorized Lt. David Busacca’s attorney to bargain for it.
“Upon learning the details of the settlement, we are not comfortable with the life preserver being included and will be reaching out to Mr. Orr’s attorney,” spokesperson Shanon Banner said in an email Thursday.
Perhaps there’s some better explanation for this, and the state appears poised to get to the bottom of this.
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter or Bluesky if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.
The post Edmund Fitzgerald May Sink Police Misconduct Settlement Made In 2025 appeared first on Above the Law.
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead when the gales of November come early, but apparently it does give up its life preservers when the police misconduct settlements of October come on time.
Half a century on from the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the legend has managed to get just a little weirder, but this time in the form of a litigation settlement that has exactly nothing to do with the ship. The state is paying $600,000 to settle claims brought by Larry Orr, who sued alleging violations of his rights as part of a discredited sexual abuse allegation.
But even more surprising than law enforcement failing to hide behind qualified immunity, is the guest starring role of a life preserver from the famous vessel that washed ashore. Orr owned one of the orange rings and had entertained some plans to auction it as part of the 50th anniversary remembrance of the disaster. Instead, as part of the deal, Orr is getting $600,000 from the state and handing over the ring.
Why would the beneficiary of the settlement hand over anything? That’s a great question!
According to Orr’s lawyer, the police officer’s attorney knew that Orr owned the artifact and randomly raised the prospect of throwing it into the deal. “Are we at a mediation for a wrongful prosecution or an estate sale?” Smith said she wondered in the AP article. But these misgivings weren’t enough to keep the deal from getting done.
Though maybe they should have.
Given that the life ring is worth roughly $300,000, its inclusion in the deal certainly makes this feel like a $300,000 settlement with Orr along with a $300,000 payment for a piece of personal property disguised as a settlement of claims. Since litigation settlements would enjoy tax benefits, this maritime deal seems very… fishy.
Hence the state’s spokesperson, upon learning about the deal, expressed healthy skepticism:
The Associated Press reached out to the state police this week to try to learn why it wanted the life ring and who had authorized Lt. David Busacca’s attorney to bargain for it.
“Upon learning the details of the settlement, we are not comfortable with the life preserver being included and will be reaching out to Mr. Orr’s attorney,” spokesperson Shanon Banner said in an email Thursday.
Perhaps there’s some better explanation for this, and the state appears poised to get to the bottom of this.
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter or Bluesky if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.
