Judge asked to question jurors who awarded $38 million in New Hampshire youth center abuse case

By HOLLY RAMER
Associated Press

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A landmark trial over abuse at New Hampshire’s youth detention center resulted in a $38 million award to a former resident. But some jurors are now distraught that the state is trying to slash the amount, and the judge is being asked to bring them back for questioning. At issue is a state law that caps payouts to $475,000 per incident. The state argued that all of David Meehan’s claims arose out of a single incident of alleged negligence. Meehan’s lawyers said each act of physical or sexual abuse should be counted as a separate incident. The jury found Meehan proved only one incident, but one juror now says they meant to reflect the one case of PTSD he got from more than 100 physical and sexual assaults. Meehan’s attorneys on Tuesday asked the judge to reconvene and poll the jury.