Settlement Granted In Pro-Life Suit Against State Police

The Maryland Board of Public Works, on which Gov. O'Malley serves, has offered an out-of-court settlement in pro-life protesters' lawsuit against Maryland State Police.

The board approved a $385,000 settlement with Defend Life, a grassroots, all-volunteer pro-life activist organization, according to the board of public works agenda and summary. The settlement will be funded through State Insurance Trust Fund.

The following is posted under the agenda item for the public works board:

The above referenced case arises from the arrest of 17 anti-abortion protesters on August 1, 2008 in Bel Air, Maryland by MDSP Troopers. The protestors were arrested, processed and spent a night in the Harford County Detention Center.

The Office of the Attorney General has determined that the Troopers were neither grossly negligent nor malicious in the performance of their duties and this request otherwise accords with §12-405 of the State Government Article, Maryland Code.

Maryland State Police were the only remaining defendents in the law suit.

officers were cleared of wrongdoing in July 2011.

Harford County settled with the anti-abortion group in March for an undisclosed amount. The county also agreed to adopt a new policy “regulating the handling of peaceful protesters," according to a Defend Life spokesman.