In early December 2019, a $450,000 verdict was awarded to a mental health patient who contended he was beaten by security therapy aids at Chester Mental Health Center in Chester, Illinois. According to court documents, 20-year old Christopher Novus Davis was pulled to the ground, choked, and punched, all off-camera, while in handcuffs. Davis filed a lawsuit in 2013, but after receiving an award of only $5 in damages, Davis’ attorneys filed a motion for a new trial in June 2018—resulting in a $450,000 verdict.
