chams1
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http://www.ajc.com/news/gwinnett/jury-awards-88-500-571576.html
Jury awards $88,500 in turtle case
By Andria Simmons
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
9:20 p.m. Thursday, July 15, 2010
A civil jury awarded more than $88,500 in damages Thursday against federal and state wildlife agents after determining that the pair violated the civil rights of an amateur turtle collector in Lawrenceville.
The jury found there was enough evidence to believe that wildlife agents Gary Phillips and Michael Bloxom went onto the property of Steve Santhuff on July 14, 2005, without a warrant and confiscated 15 rare map turtles while he and his wife were out of town. Based upon evidence and photographs obtained during that foray, authorities later took out arrest warrants for Santhuff, accusing him of illegally breeding and possessing rare and endangered turtles.
The state Department of Natural Resources also confiscated 500 turtles in his collection, about 300 of which subsequently died in state custody.. Santhuff faced 17 charges that could have put him behind bars for 21 years. A Gwinnett County jury, however, acquitted him on all charges in 2008.
Santhuff has been looking for payback ever since. He had sought $2 million in damages from both Bloxom and Phillips in the lawsuit.
"It is not that big of a judgment," said Santhuff attorney Steve Wasley. "But it was not about the money. It was about proving what they said all along."
Wasley and his co-counsel, Nick Dumich, also hope the victory will bolster lawsuits that Santhuff has filed against the state Department of Natural Resources in federal district court and in Gwinnett County Superior Court..
Jury awards $88,500 in turtle case
By Andria Simmons
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
9:20 p.m. Thursday, July 15, 2010
A civil jury awarded more than $88,500 in damages Thursday against federal and state wildlife agents after determining that the pair violated the civil rights of an amateur turtle collector in Lawrenceville.
The jury found there was enough evidence to believe that wildlife agents Gary Phillips and Michael Bloxom went onto the property of Steve Santhuff on July 14, 2005, without a warrant and confiscated 15 rare map turtles while he and his wife were out of town. Based upon evidence and photographs obtained during that foray, authorities later took out arrest warrants for Santhuff, accusing him of illegally breeding and possessing rare and endangered turtles.
The state Department of Natural Resources also confiscated 500 turtles in his collection, about 300 of which subsequently died in state custody.. Santhuff faced 17 charges that could have put him behind bars for 21 years. A Gwinnett County jury, however, acquitted him on all charges in 2008.
Santhuff has been looking for payback ever since. He had sought $2 million in damages from both Bloxom and Phillips in the lawsuit.
"It is not that big of a judgment," said Santhuff attorney Steve Wasley. "But it was not about the money. It was about proving what they said all along."
Wasley and his co-counsel, Nick Dumich, also hope the victory will bolster lawsuits that Santhuff has filed against the state Department of Natural Resources in federal district court and in Gwinnett County Superior Court..
Sometimes (most times) "big brother" does more harm than good. I was thinking that $88K really isn't that much in the grand scheme of things. It is good that he won, nonetheless, however it still doesn't rectify the damage they caused. 
