Here's a little excerpt:
In August 1998 the Arvizo family were detained on a shoplifting charge at a J. C. Penney department store in West Covina, California. According to J. C. Penney, Gavin and Star Arvizo were sent out of the store by their father with an armload of stolen clothes, the family was detained and Janet started a "scuffle" with security officers. The shoplifting charge was dropped, but Janet filed a lawsuit for $3 million, saying that when she was detained she was "viciously beaten" by three security officers, one of whom was female.[8] The psychiatrist hired by J. C. Penney to evaluate Janet Arvizo found her to have rehearsed her children into supporting her story and to be both "delusional" and "depressed," although Janet's own doctor found her to be only the latter.[8] More than two years after the original alleged incident Janet added a further charge that one of the male officers had "sexually fondled" her breasts and pelvis area for "up to seven minutes".[8] Ultimately the department store settled out of court with the family for $137,000.[8]
So I guess everyone who settles is always guilty huh?
If you ever get embroiled in a legal case try not to get too stressed out when it costs you an arm and a leg every hour - it's much easier for a corporation or a celebrity to settle than go through the whole process of courts - it's embarassing, a waste of time and certainly a waste of a LOT of money.
The accuser has nothing to lose - they know that the defendant has enough money to want to settle.
But again, I'm appalled at how many people won't simply pay some respect for someone who has died - if you don't have any respect, then the least people could do is just be quiet and let people pay their respects.
What a world..
