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Board approves $70,000 settlement in deputy Purdue case and directs ICAP to handle a new civil claim
Summary
The board voted to approve a settlement that resolves litigation and an appeal in a deputy personnel matter and separately authorized ICAP counsel to respond to a pre‑suit civil claim alleging an unlawful entry; county staff flagged tradeoffs between ICAP's expertise and potential insurance premium impacts.
The Crawford County Board of Supervisors approved a negotiated settlement in a deputy personnel lawsuit and authorized outside counsel for a separate potential civil claim during its Jan. 27 meeting.
County counsel told the board that ICAP negotiated "a lump sum payment of $70,000," and that the settlement resolves the lawsuit and a concurrent demotion appeal. The agreement was signed by the deputy and the sheriff; the board voted to approve the settlement and authorized the chair to sign. The county attorney said the deputy’s last date with the county was Feb. 15 and asked that the payment be processed promptly.
Separately, the board discussed a pre‑suit letter from GLR Law Firm alleging a warrantless entry into private property. ICAP indicated it was ready to handle the matter, and county counsel explained the advantage of ICAP’s specialized resources while acknowledging that increased use of insurer‑provided counsel can affect premiums. After deliberation, supervisors voted to retain ICAP to represent the county in the potential civil matter.
Sheriff and county leadership said the settlements and counsel retention were intended to allow the sheriff’s office to move forward and to ensure the county has experienced defense counsel available if the claim proceeds. The board recorded motions and carried votes for both the settlement approval and the ICAP retention.
