Wright v. Edwards, et al.

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Patron shot by convicted felon

PERSONAL INJURY: $1.73 million Verdict

Case name: Wright v. Edwards, et al.

Case number: 08-CV-5171

Court: Milwaukee County Circuit Court

Judge: Charles F. Kahn, Jr.

Verdict amount: $1.73 million

Date of incident: Nov. 18, 2005

Injuries claimed: Plaintiff was shot in the right chest, with the bullet passing through his body and exiting out his back.

Verdict & Settlement: Bench verdict for plaintiff

Award: $1,730,089

Date of incident: Nov. 18, 2005

Disposition date: June 24, 2010

Plaintiff’s attorneys: Charles J. Hausmann and Michael J. Donovan, Hausmann-McNally Law Offices, S.C., Milwaukee

Defendant’s attorneys: Joe Neterval, Non-Profit Legal Services of Southeast Wisconsin, Milwaukee

Plaintiff counsel's summary of the case: This case questions whether a bouncer, who was a convicted felon, acted with intentional disregard of the rights of the plaintiff when he attempted to interrupt a verbal parking lot argument by firing a rifle at the patrons, causing serious gun shot injury to the plaintiff.

On Nov. 18, 2005, Youantis Wright and some friends went to Remedies Bar & Grill. At closing time, there was an argument in the parking lot. Wright, who knew people on both sides of the argument, attempted to mediate. As the argument continued, Decosta Edwards, the bar’s bouncer, brought a semi-automatic rifle out from the bar. As a convicted felon, Edwards was not allowed to own a gun. Edwards fired several shots in the air. When the crowd didn’t disperse, he fired several shots into the crowd, one of which struck Wright in the chest.