Settlement Deferred in October 2005 Hamilton Co. Jail House Beating of Gary Arnold

Hamilton County Commissioners deferred a settlement Wednesday in a brutal jail house beating lawsuit.

The attorney for Gary Arnold appeared before the commission.

Arnold was severely injured in an October 2005 attack by another inmate at the Hamilton County Jail.

Attorney Tom Crutchfield says Arnold can only walk with the aid of a walker, and has medical bills over $400,000.

A settlement was reached in mediation for $175,000.

But most commissioners think the figure is too high.

Hamilton County Commissioner Curtis Adams wanted to settle, "You start arguing lawsuits you wind up spending more in a lot of cases, plus they can go to the supreme court. That costs you a lot of money. So I just felt like it would be good to get it behind us today. But didn't have enough folks to do it."

Commissioner Adams says the commission recently settled a million dollar lawsuit for only $75,000.