Columine lawsuit update - July 2002
The federal judge at the trial court level did dismiss most of the lawsuits, including the Shoels', against the school district and sheriff's department. But many (maybe all) of those families, including the Shoels, appealed. Before there was a decision at the appellate level, the Shoels and other families settled for approximately $15,000 from the sheriff; $15,000 from the school district also is expected, last I heard.But that does not directly affect the lawsuits filed against the families of the killers. The Shoels and a few other families have not settled those lawsuits, and they are still ongoing. The Shoels (and Fieger) have now asked that the lawsuits against the families be handled by the state court. That is where they were originally, but got transferred to federal court along with the other defendants like the school district and sheriff.
Information from Jeff Klass, Colorado reporter and writer (and penpal)