If This Woman's Family Gets Dime One

[Steely Dan]

Gotbaum's Family Sues Airport

 

The claim was immediately rejected by the city in a letter to lawyers for the family of Carol Anne Gotbaum, who died Sept. 28 in a police holding cell at the airport after being arrested for disorderly conduct. Gotbaum, the daughter-in-law of New York's public advocate, was on her way by herself from New York to enter an alcohol treatment center in Tucson.

 

The airport should be suing them for letting a woman with obvious substance abuse and emotional problems travel alone.

 

__________________________________________________________

 

But lawyers for her family have accused police of mistreating her and then leaving her unattended in the holding room.

 

An autopsy report released by the Maricopa County medical examiner's office concluded that the hanging death was accidental and called intoxication on alcohol and prescription drugs contributing factors.

Manning has acknowledged that Gotbaum "drank excessively at the airport."

 

So long personal responsibility and/or family responsibility for yourself or loved ones with severe problems.

 

___________________________________________________________

 

"The thrust of the Gotbaum family claim is that the City of Phoenix police officers should have been more supportive than Carol's own husband, more knowledgeable than her own family, and should somehow have known that she suffered from a private condition that she deliberately hid from the public," said the letter signed by Stephen Craig, a lawyer for Phoenix. "But the Gotbaum family has publicly admitted, not only that Carol hid her medical and mental condition, but that the officers responded to Carol exactly the way her husband knew they would respond because they did not have critical information known only to the Gotbaum family."

 

The city letter included transcripts of phone calls Noah Gotbaum made to the airport the afternoon of his wife's death, telling officials he was concerned about her whereabouts because she was depressed and suicidal.

I sincerely hope that this trial costs the family and the lawyer a lot of money and they lose and don't get a penny.

[outsidethebox]

She went on a bender before admitting herself to the clinic. Hell, there was a post on here about someone who just quit there job and was going to vegas to drink excessively. Should he die too? Of course not. The day you can't get trashed in the airport(being a passenger only) is the day I am throwing my American Citizenship in the river.

I say sue there paints off! I have no sympathy for police arresting a women who is only trashed, while waiting for her plane!

 

what's next? We can't bring bottled water on the plane!?

[Steely Dan]

She went on a bender before admitting herself to the clinic. Hell, there was a post on here about someone who just quit there job and was going to vegas to drink excessively. Should he die too? Of course not. The day you can't get trashed in the airport(being a passenger only) is the day I am throwing my American Citizenship in the river.

I say sue there paints off! I have no sympathy for police arresting a women who is only trashed, while waiting for her plane!

 

what's next? We can't bring bottled water on the plane!?

 

Yes, I'm sure they'll lose their paints. I wonder which colors though.

 

The woman wasn't just drunk. She was loud and disorderly. She was removed from the terminal where she was causing trouble for other travelers. She tried to pull herself through her handcuffs and that's what strangled her. This has never happened before, that I've heard of, and I believe it's not something anyone would think would happen. I see no reason why the police are to blame. If she was only drunk I'd agree but when someone starts to get out of hand drunk and loud then something has to be done and I don't think what they did was excessive.

[outsidethebox]

Yes, I'm sure they'll lose their paints. I wonder which colors though.

 

The woman wasn't just drunk. She was loud and disorderly. She was removed from the terminal where she was causing trouble for other travelers. She tried to pull herself through her handcuffs and that's what strangled her. This has never happened before, that I've heard of, and I believe it's not something anyone would think would happen. I see no reason why the police are to blame. If she was only drunk I'd agree but when someone starts to get out of hand drunk and loud then something has to be done and I don't think what they did was excessive.

Hey, who hasn't got drunk and a little out of hand? Come on, stop the fear mongering.

[Steely Dan]

Hey, who hasn't got drunk and a little out of hand? Come on, stop the fear mongering.

 

Ok.

 

Seriously though, I wouldn't want someone drunk and disorderly on a plane I was flying on.

[outsidethebox]

Ok.

 

Seriously though, I wouldn't want someone drunk and disorderly on a plane I was flying on.

I agree. I was just being a smart!@#.

 

My luck the drunk would be seated next to me. then would have to smash his repeatedly into the seat in front of me. You know, just to show him or her I'm a man.

[KD in CA]

Not to be completely insensitive, but PUH-LEEZE. This woman was 100% at fault and responsible for her own demise. Maybe her family should have shown a little more concern for her well being when they were shipping her across the country to rehab all alone.

 

But now these typically arrogant scumbags who think their political power puts them above everyone want to vilify the cops who were left to deal with a self absorbed drunk? F*#& them.

[Steely Dan]

Linkin

 

 

 

Four cops cleared in Gotbaum death

 

BY LEO STANDORA

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

 

Thursday, August 21st 2008, 11:19 PM

 

Four cops who had Carol Anne Gotbaum in custody when she died at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport last year have been cleared of criminal wrongdoing, prosecutors announced Thursday.

 

A review of the case showed Gotbaum, the 45-year-old daughter-in-law of New York City Public Advocate Betsy and ex-labor leader Victor Gotbaum, accidentally strangled herself, they said.

 

Gotbaum, who was handcuffed from behind and chained to a bench, died Sept. 28 in an airport holding room. Investigators said she apparently got tangled up in the 16-inch chain while trying to get out of the cuffs and cut off her air supply.

 

Police arrested the 105-pound mother of three after she missed her connecting flight to Tucson and became unruly. Gotbaum was on her way to a rehab clinic for alcoholism.

 

As cops took her in custody, she told them she was "a depressed housewife. ... I am not a terrorist."

 

Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas said Thursday that the officers didn't know Gotbaum suffered from alcoholism and depression.

 

"Mrs. Gotbaum's death, while tragic, does not warrant criminal charges against police officers who were simply trying to carry out their duties. They committed no crime," Thomas said.

 

The announcement didn't come as a surprise to Gotbaum family lawyer Michael Manning.

 

"We never believed that the officers intentionally killed her," he said. "From what we know ... they may have been grossly negligent in how they treated her. But they certainly were not acting criminally."

 

Gotbaum's family is suing Phoenix and its police department for $8 million, contending the cops "used excessive and unreasonable force."

 

Aye yi yi.