The judge presiding over a groundbreaking trial concerning abuse allegations at New Hampshire’s youth detention center has refused to throw out the $38 million verdict. The judge stated that the facility’s leadership was either aware of the physical and sexual abuse taking place or chose not to investigate the truth. The victim, David Meehan, claimed he was subjected to rape, beating, and solitary confinement at the facility in the 1990s. The state is attempting to reduce the awarded amount, while simultaneously seeking to nullify the verdict and rule in its favor. However, Judge Andrew Schulman denied the state’s motion, asserting that Meehan’s claims were timely, and that the state had breached its duty of care regarding staff training, supervision, and discipline.
Meehan, now 42, came forward to the police in 2017 and subsequently sued the state three years later. Following his lawsuit, 11 former state employees have been arrested, and more than 1,100 former residents of the facility have filed lawsuits alleging physical, sexual, and emotional abuse over several decades. The charges against one former worker, Frank Davis, were dropped due to his incompetence to stand trial. Meehan’s lawsuit was the first to go to trial, where his attorneys argued that the state promoted a culture of abuse characterized by brutality, corruption, and a code of silence. The state, however, painted Meehan as a violent individual fabricating stories for financial gain.
During the trial, jurors awarded Meehan $18 million in compensatory damages and $20 million in enhanced damages. Despite this, they indicated on the jury form that the state was only liable for “one” incident, triggering the state’s request to reduce the award under a law limiting claims against the state to $475,000 per incident. Meehan’s legal team asserted that jurors misunderstood the question on the jury form and filed a motion to set aside the portion of the verdict specifying “one” incident. They suggested alternatives such as a new trial solely on the number of incidents or offering the state the chance to agree to an increase in incidents.
The judge previously denied a request from Meehan’s lawyers to reconvene and poll the jury but expressed openness to other solutions to address the disputed verdict. A hearing scheduled for June 24 will address these matters further. The trial highlighted the prevalence of abuse at the facility, shedding light on the systemic issues ingrained within the system. With numerous former residents coming forward with their own stories of mistreatment, the case has underscored the need for accountability and justice for those who suffered in the past. The legal proceedings have brought attention to the toxic environment that existed at the youth detention center and the importance of taking measures to prevent such abuses from occurring in the future.
