Source: s3://data.kl3m.ai/documents/govinfo/USCOURTS/USCOURTS-cand-3_04-cv-00958/USCOURTS-cand-3_04-cv-00958-11/pdf.json

Nature of Suit Code: 440
Nature of Suit: Other Civil Rights
Cause of Action: 42:1983 Civil Rights Act

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IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

STEPHANIE HARRINGTON,

Plaintiff,

 v.

POLICE OFFICER DEBBIE PEECOOK and

POLICE OFFICER BRETT POTTER, in their

individual and official capacities,

Defendants.

 /

No. C 04-0958 JSW

COURT'S INTENDED VOIR DIRE

FOR PANEL

STATEMENT OF THE CASE

Plaintiff, Stephanie Harrington, claims that Defendants Debbie Peecook

and and Brent Potter, both Officers in the City of Napa Police Department, used

unreasonable and excessive force against her when they handcuffed her and

escorted her outside her house to a waiting patrol car, without the use of her

crutches. The incident happened on the night of May 25, 2003, while the

defendant officers were lawfully arresting Plaintiff for alleged domestic violence

against her husband. 

Plaintiff also claims that Defendant Peecook acted with reckless

indifference to Plaintiff’s rights, and that Defendant Potter failed to intercede to

stop Officer Peecook. Plaintiff brings claims for violation of her right to be free

from excessive force under the Fourth Amendment to the United States 

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Constitution.

The defendants, Officers Peecook and Potter, deny those claims, and

contend that the force they used, if any, against Plaintiff was reasonable under the

circumstances.

QUESTIONS FOR THE PANEL

1. Has any member of the panel heard or read anything about the case?

2. Plaintiff will be represented at trial by David M. Helbraun. 

Defendant will be represented by David C. Jones, Deputy City

Counsel for the City of Napa. The parties may also call the

following witnesses: 

• Plaintiff, Stephanie Harrington

• Defendant Officer Brent Potter 

• Defendant Officer Debbie Peecook 

• Billie Grandrath

• John Harrington 

• Jaqueline Danner

• Douglas Weir

• Dr. Marko Bodor

• Dr. Donald Hitchcock.

• Dr. Aurelio Campos

• Dr. Paul Muizelaar

• Dr. Eric Denys

• Carol Hyland

• D.P. Van Blaircom

• Dr. John Hibbard

• Darlene Abasta

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• Correctional Officer Rene Solis

• Correctional Officer Ken Adkins

• Correctional Facility Nurse Darlene Abasta

• Sergeant Steve Lavoy

• Sergeant Gil Gallegos

• Patricia S. Thompson

• Jared Zwickey

• Juan Garcia

• Michael Smith

• Britta Wallace

• Dr. Jim D. Anderson

a) Do any of you know any of these persons?

b) Have any of you had any business dealing with them or

were represented by them?

c) Have any of you had any other similar relationship or

business connection with any of them?

3. As I indicated, my name is Jeffrey S. White. Do any of you know

me? 

4. My courtroom deputy is Jennifer Ottolini and my Law Clerks are

Daisy Salman, Melissa Todd-Goldberg, and Kristin Ring. Do any of

you know any of these people? 

5. Have any of you ever served as a juror in a criminal or a civil case or

as a member of a grand jury in either a federal or state court? If yes,

please state the following:

a) How many times?

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b) When?

c) Were you a foreperson?

d) What type of case was it?

e) How did you feel about your jury service?

g) Without stating the result, did the jury reach a verdict?

6. Have any of you or an immediate family member ever been a party to

a lawsuit, other than divorce proceedings?

7. Have any of you or anyone in your immediate family had any

training in the law?

8. Do any you have any feelings or opinions about lawsuits, lawyers or

parties to lawsuits that would affect your ability to be a fair and

impartial juror in this case?

9. As I have advised you, the Defendants in this case work for the City

of Napa. Do any of you have any feelings or opinions about the City

of Napa or other public entities that would affect your ability to be a

fair and impartial juror in this case?

10. Have you or anyone in your immediate family ever worked for any

state, county or city government? If so, how, which government, and

in what capacity?

11. Have you or an immediate family member ever had a negative or

positive experience with a law enforcement officer?

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12. Have you or an immediate family member ever been subjected to any

use of force by a law enforcement officer, including handcuffing,

police control holds? Has anybody you know ever been injured by a

law enforcement officer? 

13. Have you ever personally witnessed a law enforcement officer use

force against an individual, to effect an arrest or to otherwise restrain

them?

14. Are you or any of your immediate family members employed in law

enforcement or corrections or in a job which causes you to work with

people in law enforcement or corrections on a regular basis?

15. Have you or any of your immediate family members been a victim of

crime?

16. Have you or anyone close to you had any personal encounter or

experience with the City of Napa Police Department?

17. Are you any more or less likely to believe factual allegations

presented by a law enforcement officer than by any other person?

18. Do you think its wrong to judge the actions or decisions of police

officers in the field?

19. Do you have any family members or close friends who might be

upset with you if they learned you had been part of a jury which

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voted to award damages to a plaintiff against a law enforcement

officer?

20. Have you or any relatives or friends had a law enforcement officer

become involved in a domestic dispute? 

21. Have you or anyone close to you ever been involved in a domestic

violence or other domestic disturbance incident?

22. Have you or anyone you know ever been arrested for something they

allegedly did in a domestic violence or domestic disturbance

situation? What happened?

23. Do you have any experience, education, or training concerning a

disability known as brachyolmia?

24. Do you have any friends or family members who have a serious

physical or mental disability? How has that affected your life?

25. Do you believe that people who have a physical disability too often

ask for special treatment?

26. Have we as a society gone overboard in trying to accommodate

people with disabilities?

27. Do you think disabled people sometimes overstate their disabilities

or injuries?

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28. Do you think disabled people sometimes understate their disabilities

or injuries?

29. How do you feel about our legal system which provides for an award of

financial compensation for the physical suffering, emotional distress,

inconvenience and humiliation experienced?

30. Do you think emotional suffering is real? Do you think people should

be able to collect damages for it if they prove it has occurred? Why or

why not?

31. Do you have any concerns about assessing punitive damages, which are

in the nature of fine or civil penalty, against the Defendants Officer

Debbie Peecook, if you find that her conduct was wrongful enough to

merit such a fine.

32. Will you be able to follow the Judge’s instructions that allegations

mean nothing, that you must evaluate evidence and keep an open mind?

33. Will you be able to follow the Judge’s instruction that you do not try to

figure the case out until you have heard all of the evidence?

34. Will you be able to follow the Judge’s instruction that Plaintiff has the

burden of proof in this case, by a preponderance of evidence, and that if

this burden is not fulfilled, you must find against Plaintiff?

35. Do you believe that Plaintiff is entitled to monetary damages simply

because she has brought his case to trial?

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36. Do you believe that if someone is sued they must have done something

wrong?

37. Will you be able to follow the Judge’s instructions that you should not

be swayed by emotion or sympathy in this case?

38. Do you have a feeling or belief now, even without hearing the

evidence, that the Defendants in this case should or should not be held

liable for injuries to Stephanie Harrington?

39. Is there anything about the Plaintiff Stephanie Harrington that may

influence your ability or willingness to consider the evidence fairly, and

to render a verdict in the Plaintiff’s favor if the evidence supports it? If

so, please describe.

40. Is there anything about the Defendants Officer Peecook and Potter that

may influence your ability or willingness to consider the evidence

fairly, and to render a verdict in their favor if the evidence fails to prove

Plaintiff’s claims? If so, please describe.

41. Is there anything at all about this case that troubles you? If so, please

describe.

42. Do any of you have anything that you would like to bring to the Court’s

attention (e.g., health problems, hearing problems, difficulty

understanding English, personal bias, financial problems, etc.) that

might affect your ability to be an effective, fair and impartial juror?

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