Lawyer: $100M sought in Newtown school shooting

The scene outside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., where a gunman killed 26 people, including 20 students ages 6 and 7. / DON EMMERT/Getty Images

A lawyer who's asking to sue Connecticut for $100 million on behalf of a 6-year-old Newtown school shooting survivor who heard violence over the school's intercom system says the potential claim is about improving school security, not money.

"It's about living in a world that's safe," New Haven attorney Irving Pinsky told The Associated Press on Saturday. "The answer is about protecting the kids."

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Newtown, Conn., memorial vigil

Pinsky asked this week to sue the state, which has immunity against most lawsuits unless it gives a party permission to go forward with a claim. Connecticut's claims commissioner couldn't be reached for comment Saturday.

Pinksy's client, whom he calls "Jill Doe" in the claim, sustained "emotional and psychological trauma and injury" on Dec. 14 after gunman Adam Lanza forced his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School and gunned down 20 children and six adults inside in one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history.

The child heard "conversations, gunfire and screaming" over Sandy Hook's intercom after someone in the office apparently switched on the system, according to the claim. Pinsky said Saturday he didn't know whether his client saw anyone die.

The state Board of Education, Department of Education and state education commissioner failed to protect the child "from foreseeable harm," including by failing to provide a safe school setting, the filing said.

It also said the parties failed to review and carefully scrutinize annual strategic school profile reports from the local school district and Sandy Hook Elementary as well as "other submissions with respect to student safety and emergency response planning and protocol."

It says the parties also failed to require the school and local Board of Education to formulate and implement an effective student safety emergency response plan.

Pinsky said Saturday he didn't want to reveal more about the 6-year-old or details about her experience during the shooting because of privacy concerns.

The attorney said he hasn't gotten a reply from the state yet. The Hartford Courant first reported the filing.

[NeilAllen2]

Here's a motive for Adam Lanza's massacre - Adam was raped by a local, convicted Catholic priest, Fr John Castaldo, when Adam was 6 years old, and was taking revenge against other 6 year olds. Here's the verified evidence:

http://neilallen76.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/why-adam-lanza-massacred-children-at-sandy-hook-newtown-a-theory/

It can't be proven yet, but it is the best explanation yet for why Adam would want to take revenge against other 6 year olds, since no one protected him when he was 6 years old.

[Rockyballbuster]

bawahhhaaaahhaahaaa! ! ! ! Dude, way to put 2 and 2 together and come up with 14 Trillion.

[mgaisser44]

Well, at least he waited before he got his claws out, what an embarrassment to the legal profession, this is the case of a lifetime and he knew it, i would not be surprised if he solicited the poor girl's parents promising millions(for him) what a ******, not about the money my A** $100 million? no, its not about the money!

[michaelamsterdam]

I can only hope that this Pinsky is getting a full 50% cut as his contingrncy fee...

That way, he'll be out $50 million instead of only $33 million when this callous, opportunistic extortion is quashed.

[Zulu99Echo16]

I'm just curious if any of the posters here are lawyers? If so, what kind of law? I'm just curious what other lawyers think about scumbags like Irving Pinsky?

[Paterika2]

Amurdakuns worship their moneygod. No surprise.

[Hollif50]

This lawyer is looking for a big payday. I can almost hear the parasite saying, "Show me the money"!

[ConcernedOpinion]

And if the person in the office had not turned on the intercom for all the staff to hear, how many more innocents would have been gunned down not knowing what violence had started in that office? Yes, this is traumatic for everyone that was in that building, but there are better ways of dealing with the aftermath.
$100m to get the attention of gov't? Who is kidding who here? If you tell me you are doing this pro bono I might give it a try to believe your self-serving actions.

[centralcacoast]

Seriously?

[realtimecoffee]

$100 million, but it's not about the money...

[bills416]

Leaches....parpasites. Greediest souls ( I use that term loosly because I'm not sure they have souls) on the face of the earth. And you wonder why lawyers have a bad reputation? Money to be made over any tragedy...sickens me.

[get_down]

Talk about typical frivolous lawsuit. Soooo attorney Irving Pinsky of New Haven, Conn., is doing this pro bono (for free)? I doubt it. If he wins this lawsuit, he's going to file another one Billion (minimum) lawsuit on behalf of a soldier (Jill Doe or G.I. Joe) in either Afghanistan or Iraq (allegedly) has sustained emotional and psychological trauma and injury, the nature and extent of which are yet to be determined against the US Government and the filing claim will accuse the Government of failing to protect the soldier from "foreseeable harm.". Yeah...RIGHT! This kind of "Ambulance chasing" and extreme incompetent attorney should lose his lawyer license for practicing law and manifesting gross incompetence in such ignorant fashion.