County in Nebraska Seeks Insurance Coverage in Wrong Conviction Case

Nebraska’s Gage County has hired a legal firm to examine insurance coverage in a recent ruling involving six people who were wrongly convicted of the 1985 rape and homicide of a Beatrice woman.

Gage County Board of Supervisors Chairman Myron Dorn told the Beatrice Daily Sun that Joel Bacon and Joel Nelson, of Keating O’Gara law firm in Lincoln, have been hired to determine if the county is covered in the case.

Earlier this month in Lincoln, Gage County appealed a verdict that awarded more than $28 million to the six people who were wrongly convicted. The county wants a judge to order another trial or set aside the verdict.

The Nebraska Intergovernmental Risk Management Association became the county’s carrier nearly 20 years ago. Association officials have previously said coverage typically doesn’t extend for something that took place before it joined the insurance pool.

Dorn said the contract with the law firm will cost about $7,600.

Board member Erich Tiemann said it’ll be worth the cost if the attorneys determine the county is covered.

“That seems like a big amount of money, but we have to look at the scale of things,” he said. “That’s pennies on the dollar if we’re successful in finding a way to collect some on liability insurance.”

In its appeal, the county argues there wasn’t enough evidence to find against law enforcement officials and the county in favor the six convicted in the rape and slaying of 68-year-old Helen Wilson. The county also says the award was too high and that the jury was tainted by statements that the six were innocent.