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$2.2 Million Settlement: Murder by Washington State Community Service Releasee

On October 17, 2008, the State of Washington settled a lawsuit brought by the survivors of a man killed by a man on community supervision for $2.2 million.

Andrew J. Brown, a state prisoner in Washington State, was convicted for robbery and received 12 months community supervision as part of his sentence. While on community supervision, Brown attacked and beat Darrell Johnson, who was on his morning walk in Tacoma, Washington. Johnson succumbed to his injuries five days later. Brown was convicted of Johnson’s murder and sentenced to 361 months in prison.

Johnson’s estate, wife, son and four daughters filed a lawsuit in state superior court alleging that the Washington State Department of Corrections’ gross negligence in its failure to properly supervise Brown was a proximate cause of Johnson’s death. Without admitting liability, Washington State settled the suit for $2.2 million. The plaintiffs were represented by Tacoma law firm Messina Bulzomi Christensen. See: Johnson v. State of Washington, Pierce Co. Superior Court, Wash., Case No. 08-2-0401-1.

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Related legal case

Johnson v. State of Washington

Please see the brief bank for documents related to this case.