By Dorothy Rowley
WI Online Editor
Former Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson won’t be forced after all, to answer questions in a lawsuit involving a shooting by a former police officer, according to reports.
The case centers on Keith Washington, who was part of Johnson's security team when he shot two men who had delivered furniture to his home in 2007. One of the deliverymen died and Washington was convicted the following year of involuntary manslaughter as well as other charges. He was sentenced to 45 years in prison.
WTOP News reports that in a lawsuit filed by the surviving deliveryman and the family of the man who died, Johnson won’t have to respond to questions. The Maryland Appeals Court, which ruled that Johnson had nothing to do with Washington's ability to carry a gun, also noted that Washington's job duties were irrelevant because he had not been on duty when the shooting occurred, according to WTOP.
Johnson is currently awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty last month to charges that include extortion and evidence tampering in connection with a pay-to play scheme that began about a year after he took office in 2002. The scheme ended in November 2010 when Johnson was arrested in an FBI sting at his home.
