Judgment on $3 Million Jury Verdict in Favor of Dearie Law Group Client Entered Against State of Washington for Failure to Report Child Sexual Abuse
Washingtoner/10238927

EVERETT, Wash. ~ A Snohomish County Superior Court Judge has entered a judgment of $3 million in favor of A.K., a victim of child sexual abuse, against the State of Washington, Department of Children, Youth, and Families (formerly DSHS). The jury verdict was the result of a three-week trial in A.K. v. State of Washington, DSHS, et al., No. 19-2-01825-31.

Raymond Dearie and Drew Lombardi from the Dearie Law Group represented A.K., and argued that the State denied any responsibility for its employee's failure to make a mandatory report and instead blamed the victim for the abuse she endured.

"This tragic case comes down to a Child Protective Services employee's failure to simply do her job," said Dearie. "Her whole job description revolved around the protection of children from abuse, but somehow the CPS Investigator forgot how to do her job. If the CPS Investigator would have done the bare minimum, my client would not have been forced to endure years of abuse and emotional distress."

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The legal counsel argued that the CPS Investigator had ample information requiring her to make a mandatory report alleging that A.K. was being sexually abused by former Monroe Police Department Sergeant Carlos Martinez since she was a student at Monroe Junior High School almost 20 years ago. One week before the civil trial began, A.K.'s attorneys uncovered a tape-recorded interview of the CPS Investigator who admitted that she was "one hundred percent sure something physically was going on between them."

Multiple witnesses testified during trial that they believed the CPS Investigator was having an affair with Martinez which could have been why she failed to make a mandatory report resulting in A.K.'s abuse for approximately seven years.

Dearie and Lombardi thanked members of the jury for following law and holding State responsible for its systemic failure and expressed hope that this verdict will allow A.K. to move forward with her life while motivating State to make systemic corrections so such incidents don't occur again in future.

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