New Haven Lawyer Seeks To Sue State Over Newtown Shooting

by Christine Stuart | Dec 28, 2012 5:33 pm

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Attorney Irv Pinsky’s 6-year-old client heard the “cursing, screaming, and shooting” over the intercom Dec. 14 when a gunman entered Sandy Hook Elementary School and killed her friends. “You’re having a wonderful life and then the next thing you know your friends are all getting killed and you’re in danger,” Pinsky (pictured) said Friday. That’s why he’s filed a $100 million claim Thursday on behalf of his client, Jill Doe, with state Claims Commissioner J. Paul Vance, Jr. “You’re not allowed to sue the state until you receive permission,” Pinsky explained Friday. That’s why he’s filing the claim with the claims commissioner and not a court. The claim says that state Board of Education, Connecticut Department of Education, and state Education Commissioner failed to take the appropriate steps to protect minor children from “foreseeable harm.” The state failed to determine “whether the Newtown Board of Education had provided a safe school setting at said school.” The claim goes onto say that Sandy Hook Elementary and the Newtown Board of Education failed to “formulate and implement an effective student safety emergency response plan and protocol.” “As a consequence, the claimant-minor child has sustained emotional and psychological trauma and injury, the nature and extent of which are yet to be determined,” the claim says. Continue reading at CT News Junkie.

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posted by: Kevin While most of my colleagues and many of my friends are attorneys, this suit reminds of why many people hate lawyers.

posted by: tkerresma on December 28, 2012 7:10pm This is the most horrific thing I have heard yet. I dont think there is a person that wasnt affect by this situation, especially those directly. Who wouldnt have some post dramatic syndrome after this, but to sue? Unless you put gates and alarms around any school, there was no way to stop this person, or even see it coming. Those teachers did exactly what needed to be done and by the children hearing any of it, was the only way to let the school know what was happening and giving the teachers time to prepare, and make those children as safe as they could.This is horrible.

posted by: donnacap on December 28, 2012 8:05pm Really? “The claim says that state Board of Education, Connecticut Department of Education, and state Education Commissioner failed to take the appropriate steps to protect minor children from “foreseeable harm.” And how would they have know? I’m sorry, this attorney is looking for his 15 mins of fame. If you feel harm was foreseeable then why leave your house or send your children to school. This country is to quite to sue and to place blame all in the name of making money.

posted by: HhE on December 28, 2012 8:07pm This is despicable. The town of Newtown was in bad financial straits before this terrible tragedy, now this?

posted by: Walt on December 28, 2012 9:12pm Has Pinsky been actually hired by someone on this case, or is he just fishing for a possible big class action bonanza? Nothing here indicates he is working pro bono., which is OK I guess, but not deserving any big kudos

posted by: RCguy on December 29, 2012 4:19am Quote on the Register Comment section: “Such suits may get the politicans’ attention, not something easy to do, and be a spur to much-needed security reforms.”

—Bob Thomas, Retired.

posted by: lrnoff on December 29, 2012 10:15am What a bunch of crap. I hope Irv Pinsky has a hard time sleeping at night.

posted by: momfromnewhaven on December 29, 2012 10:18am I worry that lawsuits like this will only encourage those who think it is OK to arm teachers

posted by: Mary Faulkner on December 29, 2012 11:58am “Much-needed security reforms”? I am not sure what security measures a school COULD take to stop someone with an assault rifle ready to kill small children. The armed guards didn’t stop the 15 deaths at Columbine. Perhaps an armed guard at every classroom door? Or for each student? We had trouble paying for librarians and paraprofessionals here in New Haven and the suggestion is to hire armed guards and put MORE guns into the system? How about properly funding gun safety research? How about mental health initiatives that help families help their mentally ill family members? How about sensible gun regulations? How about a culture shift that puts my right to not be shot by a gun before your right to own one? And lets stop talking about “good guys” and “bad guys”. It is not an “us” against “them” scenario. We are ALL in this together. It is time for a major change in America and more guns is not the answer.

posted by: writewrong on December 29, 2012 1:00pm Very disappointed in his actions…You just lost a fan!

posted by: swatty on December 29, 2012 2:31pm Get Ready Pinsky! I’m going to sue YOU for stained emotional and psychological trauma after reading this sick story!

posted by: bwamba on December 29, 2012 3:07pm I’m sure suing the school board will help. This man should have his license to practice revoked by the bar. What a despicable, selfish act.

posted by: V on December 29, 2012 3:52pm Implicit in this lawsuit is that armed guards should be at every school, and yet LaPierre was lambasted for proposing that.

Fairly insulting to the taxpayers of CT in so many ways.

posted by: swattie on December 29, 2012 7:57pm I trust you Irv.

posted by: HhE on December 29, 2012 8:32pm I think swatty’s suit has considerably more merit than Pinsky’s. Can we make it a class action? I have friends who used to live in Newtown. They tell me the town was already strapped before this happened. I think they said that the town self insures itself, if so, his talk of insurance investigators tampering with evidence is just a red herring. Oh, for English Rule.

posted by: ramonesfan on December 29, 2012 10:33pm Seems like a very entrepreneurial fellow. Some people can spot a money making opportunity in any situation. Winning the lawsuit would mean he gets to keep $33 million. If he ever gets tired of lawyering, he can go to work for Goldman Sachs, where they steal their money more honestly.

posted by: gibsonsdad on December 29, 2012 11:48pm I haven’t read anything about what safety policies were in place at Sandy Hook. Where I teach, we have extensive safety policies, including an ‘active shooter’ policy. I’m sure it isn’t fail proof, but it is better than no policy. If this school/district had no such policy, they are surely negligent.

posted by: HhE on December 30, 2012 1:11am He had his license suspended for three years. http://www.jud.ct.gov/SGC/Decisions/950215.htm

posted by: Brutus2011 on December 30, 2012 11:38am I agree with the post by “RCguy:” And I am so disappointed with the apparent lack of understanding by so many as to why we need to be asking questions (and not just about security)of those who administer public education in our state. This nascent legal action is taking aim at the top state education administrators and wanting them to answer questions about how and why they do things they are given the public trust to do. Once this starts, the information asymmetry perpetrated upon the public by those who are charged with putting their public duty before their personal gain will become more and more visible. But we first must ask questions of those we have elected, and appointed, to be in government. It is the duty of every citizen in this republic. And if we don’t ask, and we become complacent, we will find ourselves in the kind of mess our state and nation are in now. What kind of mess? On the national level, we have the “fiscal cliff.” On the state level, we now have a huge budget deficit.” On the local level, we have a career politician who has become “king” of one of our most venerable cities (New Haven). And how does this relate to the unthinkable tragedy of Sandy Hook? ___________________________________ (you fill in the blank.

posted by: David S Baker on December 30, 2012 12:19pm Wow this guy really strikes me as an attention starved, social parasite, opportunist. What are the odds he will use his winnings (aka your tax dollars) to undo the great oversights he spots in our educational facility security policies? Jacques Verges was at least under the delusion he was doing something important. HhE, good find.

posted by: dgeorge on December 30, 2012 4:55pm I Have read the articles, and seen the news, and yet I still find this to be unbelievable. Just the fact that he took the suit is despicable, but the fact that the parents used their child to file the suit so their name wouldn’tbe published is outright disgusting. I’m sure the child didn’t pick up the phone book and look up his number. Instead of mourning with the rest of the world, these “PARENTS” are trying to benefit from a bad situation and are just making it more painful for everyone else. Glad i’m not an attorney, or to put it in a nice way, Glad i’m not in the business where my clients can hide behind a child, or even have to.

posted by: Long Time NH Resident on December 31, 2012 11:21am I too know many attorneys and Irving too, but this is a bit much. Not sure the angle being played here, seems like a lose lose for all. Even if he/his client wins, doesn’t that money come from the taxpayers of the State. I think we’ve all suffered enough.

I was out of town for a few days and when u mention ur from CT people are like oh wow….. our reputation is damaged enough without trying to get paid for it.

Can’t the healing be allowed to begin without dragging this thing through Court ( if the Commissioner approves)for the next 5-10 years. I would rather see every citizen of CT donate $5 to a general fund and let all the victims split it.

posted by: cedarhillresident! on December 31, 2012 12:08pm Irv is a savvy business man. It may not be the van with the 1800 Lawyer in blinking lights on elm but it is free advertising. Luv ya Irv but in my heart I have to say this is wrong. (but hey what do I know) It seems no different than the person in cali using the little boy that died to make money or the other women that use Newtown to make money. Maybe I am not seeing the whole picture