As the town moves toward in-house legal counsel, private attorneys represent Gilbert in at least a dozen active civil cases with potential payouts in the millions of dollars, depending on the verdicts, court records obtained by The Arizona Republic show.
Those firms are representing the town in a variety of civil cases, ranging from eminent domain to personal-injury claims.
Gilbert was successful in getting one claim dismissed against Gilbert police for using excessive force, but another case remains active in U.S. District Court.
Former Maricopa County Sheriff’s Deputy Justin McLemore filed a $600,000 claim after Gilbert police used a Taser to subdue him during a confrontation at the Hyatt Place hotel in 2010. McLemore claimed he was peacefully giving up but did not comply with orders from police to lie on the ground.
Parolee David Ybarra has demanded $1.26 billion after he was shot multiple times by Gilbert police last March when he allegedly threw concrete at an officer.
It appears even unlikely a lawsuit such as Ybarra’s could gain traction in the courts
Because Arizona voters’ last week approved Proposition 114, which protects crime victims from liability when a person is harmed while committing a felony,
Several recent property disputes have also landed in court as Gilbert seeks to use eminent domain to seize property it needs for crucial infrastructure projects.
