Prominent Judge to Get $500K in Police Brutality Claim

The judge claimed he was treated unfairly by UCLA campus police when stopped

UCLA will pay $500,000 to a prominent judge who claimed campus police officers roughed him up after pulling him over for a seatbelt violation last year, according to a joint statement released Friday by UCLA and an attorney for the judge.

The case was settled after Judge David Cunningham III filed a $10 million claim in February.

He claimed that two campus officers cuffed him and threw him into the back of a squad car after he had finished his morning workout at a gym in Westwood on Nov. 23, 2013.

The officers acted after he got out of his car to retrieve his car insurance and registration information and refused orders to get back in his car, the university said.

The incident caused him "serious injury and damages to his mind, body and reputation," his attorney Carl Douglas contended shortly after the confrontation.

As part of the settlement, Cunningham will receive $150,000 from the university and a $350,000 scholarship fund in his name.

UCLA police will also be required to train on issues of understanding diversity, bias, and the use of force, according to a statement from both parties.

A one-day community forum will be held to discuss police and community relations.

"Both parties are eager to use this as a teachable moment that provides greater insight into important issues," according to the statement. "This civic-minded agreement serves the best interest of the entire community and settles the matter to the mutual satisfaction of the parties."

Douglas declined to comment for this report.

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